January Skies

This month only Saturn and Jupiter will grace our nighttime sky. We can find Saturn in the West-Southwest skies a couple of hours after sunset. Its rings are still almost edge on and present an observing challenge. Jupiter, shining at magnitude -2.7, rises in the East Northeast not long after sunset as it begins its climb into the evening and nighttime sky. As it rises higher in the nighttime sky, the Gallian moons and the great red spot will become some of the favorite targets for binoculars and small to mid-sized aperture telescopes. 

Mercury, Venus and Mars are not hiding from us but are bunched together as they go through conjunction with the Sun. Venus is first on the 6th followed by Mars on the 9th. Of course, Mercury comes and goes rather quickly, and will reappear to us next month. Venus reappears in the west as the evening star on February 2nd. Mars plods along, slowly entering the morning sky but not being naked eye visible until mid-May.

The Moon will be full on the 3rd, last quarter on the 10th, new on the 18th, and first quarter on the 26th. Looking East-Northeast on the 3rd, just a bit after dark, the full Moon will be keeping company just to the right of Jupiter as the pair rises into the night sky. Looking West-Southwest around 7 p.m. on the 22nd, the waxing crescent Moon will be below and to the right of Saturn.

Om January 3 rd. the Earth passes through perihelion, around 10:16 a.m. MST which will be its closest point to the Sun for 2026 at 91.4 million miles or 147 million kilometers.

The first Saturday star party will be held on Saturday January 3, at the Etscorn Campus Observatory. To reach the observatory take Canyon Dive past the golf course. At the stop sign turn right on Buck Wolfe Drive. At the top of the dip in the road, turn left and follow the signs to the observatory.

Clear Skies!