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Various astronomical "shadow events" occur throughout the Solar System!  This month's more interesting ones are featured here.

SHADOW WORKS

Here we highlight (and set up) the most awe-inspiring eclipses taking place in our Solar System, so that all you need to do is click on their links.  Don't forget that you can generate lists of Earth's, Jupiter's, Saturn's, Uranus's, Neptune's and even Pluto's eclipses, using CELESTIA's own built-in "Eclipse Finder."  You'll find it in the program's menu under "Navigation".

All events listed below are displayed as if viewed from Earth, their magnifications shown in parentheses at the lower right of CELESTIA's window.  Events involving more than one moon are often cyclical, so usually only the first example is given, and then the period of the cycle.

JUPITER

As depicted in CELESTIA, here are highlights of the 29 solar eclipses that Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto—the "Galilean" moons of Jupiter—produce in February.  While simultaneous solar eclipses are fairly common on Jupiter, this month no two Galileans cast their shadows onto the planet at the same time.  Included are a few examples of the Galilean moons moving into Jupiter's shadow, i.e. being eclipsed by Jupiter.

• Feb 1: Europa emerges (upper left) from Jupiter's shadow and passes Io, which goes on to cast its shadow on Jupiter; nearly the same will repeat about every 3 days 13 hours due to the synchronicity of these moons' orbits  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 3: Europa casts its shadow on Jupiter, as does Io about 6 hours later; as in the above example, nearly the same will repeat about every 3 days 13 hours due to the synchronicity of these moons' orbits  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 4: Io moves behind Jupiter and, before it emerges (upper left) from Jupiter's shadow, Ganymede prepares to do the same  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 7: Io emerges from Jupiter's shadow and passes Ganymede, which goes on to cast its shadow on Jupiter  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 8: Europa emerges from Jupiter's shadow and passes Io, which goes on to cast its shadow on Jupiter; notice how they are passing each other slightly nearer to Jupiter's edge each time  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 9: Callisto is casting its shadow on Jupiter as it passes Io, which moves behind Jupiter  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 17: as mentioned for Feb 3, Europa casts its shadow on Jupiter, as does Io (now only about 4½ hours later); then Callisto passes Io and moves behind Jupiter  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 22: Ganymede casts its shadow on Jupiter, then passes Europa which moves behind Jupiter  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 26: keep watching this string of events as all four of the Galileans get in on the act; notice how Io is directly in front of part of its own shadow  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)

SATURN

While CELESTIA 1.6.x shows the shadows of Titan, Rhea, Iapetus, Dione and Tethys, version 1.4.1 displays only the shadows of Titan, Rhea & Iapetus.  So, 1.6.x and 1.4.1 respectively show 32 and 8 solar eclipses on Saturn in February.  The highlights are as follows:

• Feb 1: Rhea casts its shadow on Saturn, as it currently does about every 4½ days  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 1: Dione casts its shadow on Saturn, as it currently does about every 2¾ days  (1.6.x only)
• Feb 2: Tethys casts its shadow on Saturn, as it currently does almost every 2 days  (1.6.x only)
• Feb 4: Dione and Tethys casts their shadows on Saturn at the same time  (1.6.x only)
• Feb 10: After Rhea casts its shadow on Saturn, Titan casts its shadow near the planet's South Pole (look closely)  (1.6.x)   (1.4.1)
• Feb 19: Rhea and Tethys just barely manage a simultaneous eclipse; (time is slowed down for this link, and you may Right Drag to examine each moon's shadow on its respective terminator)  (1.6.x only)

URANUS, NEPTUNE & Dwarf Planet PLUTO

Neither Uranus nor Neptune will experience eclipses for decades.  Dwarf planet Pluto will experience no eclipses by Charon for about a century!