The moon cycles through its phases every 29.5 days, allowing a phase to repeat if it first occurs early in a calendar month. For the second time in December, the moon will reach its new moon phase on Monday, December 30 at 5:27 p.m. EST, 2:27 p.m. PST, and 22:27 GMT. At that time our […]
35 events found.
Monthly Night Sky information provided by Chris Vaughan (@Astrogeoguy) at Starry Night Education (@StarryNightEdu).
Astronomical Events
Events
Calendar of Events
|
Sunday
|
Monday
|
Tuesday
|
Wednesday
|
Thursday
|
Friday
|
Saturday
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
0 events,
|
1 event, |
0 events,
|
1 event,In the evening during early January, the prominent open star cluster known as the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters and Messier 45, is climbing the southeastern sky. The stars of its home constellation Taurus, the Bull will be below the cluster. This year, the brilliant planet Jupiter will be shining about 1.3 fist diameters to the […] |
2 events,After the sky fully darkens in early January, the Andromeda Galaxy is positioned near the zenith, which is ideal for viewing it through a minimum of Earth’s atmosphere. The galaxy will descend the western sky as the hours roll by, but you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy it. This large spiral galaxy, also designated […] |
3 events,Named for a now-defunct constellation called the Mural Quadrant, the Quadrantids meteor shower runs from December 26 to January 16 every year. Quadrantids meteors always radiate from a point in the northeastern sky below the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle. This shower commonly produces bright fireballs because it is produced by particles dropped by […]
–
The southwestern sky will provide a beautiful photo opportunity on Friday evening, January 3 when the slender waxing crescent moon will shine near the brilliant planet Venus. They’ll be close enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle) from sunset until they set at about 8:30 p.m. local time. Keep an eye out for […] |
3 events,The Earth will reach perihelion, its minimum distance from the sun for the year, on Saturday, January 4 at 8 a.m. EST, or 5 a.m. PST, or 13:00 GMT. At perihelion Earth will be 91.404 million miles (or 147.101 million km) from our star, about 1.67% closer than our mean distance of 1.0 Astronomical Unit. […]
–
In the southwestern sky after sunset on Saturday, January 4, the yellowish dot of Saturn will appear several finger widths below (or celestial WSW of) the waxing crescent moon – close enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Venus will gleam to their lower right. The moon and Saturn will be visible from […] |
1 event,
–
The star Algol in the constellation of Perseus represents the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. Also designated Beta Persei, it is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. During a ten-hour period that repeats like clockwork every 2 days, 20 hours, and 49 minutes, Algol dims noticeably and re-brightens by about a […] |
1 event,
–
The moon will complete the first quarter of its 29.53-day journey around Earth on Monday, January 6 at 6:56 p.m. EST, or 3:56 p.m. PST, or 23:56 GMT. At first quarter, the moon’s 90-degree angle from the sun causes us to see it half-illuminated on its eastern side. First quarter moons always rise around mid-day […] |
1 event,On early-January evenings, the constellation of Auriga, the Charioteer is positioned high in the eastern sky. The constellation is dominated by the very bright (magnitude 0.05), yellow, sun-like star Capella, nick-named the Goat Star. Look several finger widths to the right (or 4 degrees to the celestial south) of Capella for a narrow, sideways triangle […] |
2 events,
–
The three stars in Orion’s belt may look the same at a glance, but they are actually quite different under closer inspection. Magnitude 1.85 Alnitak (Zeta Orionis) on the left and magnitude 1.65 Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis) in the center shine at almost the same brightness, though Alnilam is almost twice as far away. The magnitude […] |
1 event,
–
Skywatchers in the Americas on Thursday evening, January 9 can watch the orbital motion of the bright, 82%-illuminated gibbous moon carry it through the Pleiades star cluster (aka Messier 45, Subaru, and the Seven Sisters). In the Eastern Time zone, the event will last from about 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EST (or 00:00 to […] |
2 events,At dusk on Friday, January 10, look to the east for the brilliant planet Jupiter shining several finger widths to the lower right (or celestial south) of the bright, waxing gibbous moon – cozy enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). The duo will make a lovely photo opportunity when composed with some […]
–
On Friday, January 10, Venus will officially reach its widest separation of 47 degrees east of the sun. Viewed in a telescope (inset), the planet will exhibit a half-illuminated phase. For best results, observe Venus during evening twilight when the contrast between the bright planet and the surrounding sky is lower. After Friday, our sister […] |
2 events,A few days before Mars reaches opposition on January 15-16, the red planet will be closest to Earth on Saturday, January 11 in the Americas. That night, Mars will be 59.70 million miles, 96.08 million km, or 5.33 light-minutes away. You can view the bright reddish planet from late evening onward, near the bright stars […] |
2 events,
–
From Friday until Sunday night, January 12, the nearly full moon will shine inside the Winter Football asterism, also known as the Winter Hexagon and Winter Circle. The asterism is composed of the brightest stars in the constellations of Canis Major, Orion, Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, and Canis Minor – specifically Sirius, Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Castor […] |
2 events,The January full moon, which always shines in or near the stars of Gemini or Cancer, will occur on Monday, January 13 at 5:27 p.m. EST, 2:27 a.m. PST, or 22:27 GMT. At that time, the bright red planet Mars will be shining just to the moon’s lower left (or celestial east). This full moon […]
–
On Monday evening, January 13, observers across the continental USA, northern Mexico, south and eastern Canada, and northwestern Africa will be treated to the full moon passing in front of, or occulting, Mars. The event can be observed with unaided eyes, binoculars, and any backyard telescope. The start and end times vary by location, so […] |
0 events,
|
1 event,Mars will officially reach opposition at 10 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 15. On that night, the bright red planet will rise with the stars of Gemini at sunset, climb to its highest position due south around midnight local time, and then set at sunrise. The bright, recently full moon will rise two hours after […] |
1 event, |
1 event,
–
After several months of courtship, the motion of the bright planet Venus will pass only a generous thumb’s width (or 2 degrees) from 200 times fainter Saturn on Friday evening, January 17. The duo will be close enough to share the view in binoculars and backyard telescopes (orange circle) using a low magnification eyepiece. Try […] |
0 events,
|
|
0 events,
|
0 events,
|
2 events,
–
Early risers on Tuesday morning, January 21 can see the pretty, waning crescent moon shining in the southeastern sky just below (or celestial east of) Virgo’s brightest star, Spica. If you view the pair at sunrise, or in westerly time zones, the moon will be farther from the star. Observers in a zone covering the […]
–
The moon will complete three quarters of its orbit around Earth, measured from the previous new moon, on Tuesday, January 21 at 3:31 p.m. EST or 12:31 p.m. PST, or 20:31 GMT. At the third (or last) quarter phase the moon appears half-illuminated, on its western, sunward side. It will rise around midnight local time, […] |
1 event,From mid-January to mid-April Mars’ retrograde loop will carry it through the stars of Gemini. On Wednesday, January 22, the bright red planet will pass only 2.4 degrees from Gemini’s bright, white star, Pollux. The planet and the star will be less than two finger widths apart for several days, and binoculars close (orange circle) […] |
1 event, |
1 event,In the southeastern sky before dawn on Friday morning, January 24, the waning crescent moon will be shining among the medium-bright stars that form the claws of Scorpius, barely missing an occultation of the southernmost star, Pi Scorpii. The moon’s easterly orbital motion (by about its own diameter every hour) will produce an occultation of […] |
1 event,The bright stars of mighty Orion, the Hunter, shine in the southeastern sky during evening in January. Orion’s sword, which covers an area of 1.5 by 1 degrees (about the end of your thumb held up at arm’s length), descends from Orion’s three-starred belt. The patch of light in the middle of the sword is […] |
|
0 events,
|
0 events,
|
1 event,
–
The moon will reach its new phase on Wednesday, January 29 at 7:36 a.m. EST, 4:36 a.m. PST, or 12:36 GMT. At that time our natural satellite will be located in Capricornus and 4.6 degrees south of the sun. While new, the moon is travelling between Earth and the sun. Since sunlight can only reach […] |
1 event,
–
On Thursday, January 30, the motion of the distant, blue-green planet Uranus through the background stars of eastern Aries will slow to a stop – completing a westward retrograde loop that it began in early September. After tonight, the planet will begin to creep eastward again. At magnitude +5.7, Uranus can be seen in binoculars […] |
1 event,
–
The western sky on Friday, January 31 after sunset will offer a pretty sight and photo opportunity when the slim crescent of the waxing moon will shine below Saturn, with much brighter Venus gleaming above them. The moon and Saturn will be close enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). Hours later, observers […] |
1 event,
–
The western sky after sunset on Saturday, February 1 will offer a pretty sight when the slim crescent moon will shine close to the brilliant planet Venus, while the medium-bright, yellowish dot of Saturn shines about a fist’s diameter below them (or 10 degrees to their celestial southwest). After the sky darkens fully, around 6:30 […] |