Four planets in one view!
Every evening this month, enjoy a clear view of the four bright planets together. Also find close-up views of Venus and Saturn, the Moon and meteors on Mars!
Skywatching highlights
January 3 – Peaks of Quadruple Meteor Shower: It is a moderate shower, typically delivering 20 to 30 m/h under clear, dark skies at its height. No interference from the Moon makes this year’s peak a better bet for meteor viewing.
January 13 – Moon eclipses Mars: For sky watchers in the continental United States and eastern Canada, the Moon will appear to pass in front of Mars this evening. Times vary by location, so check your favorite skywatching app for details.
January 17-18 – Venus and Saturn conjunction: Over the course of a few weeks, the two planets come within just a few finger widths of each other in the sky (about 2 degrees). They are at their closest on the 17th and 18th.
Throughout the month – four planets are visible: In the first few hours after dark, you’ll find Venus and Saturn in the southwest, Jupiter high up and Mars in the east. (Uranus and Neptune are also there, but you need a telescope to see them.) The planets always appear as a long line in the sky, which is not particularly “aligned.” What’s less common is seeing four or five bright planets at once, which doesn’t happen every year. Is it “Parade of the Planets”? This is not a technical term in astronomy, so call it whatever you want!
All month – Mars in opposition: The Red Planet is directly opposite the Sun from Earth and shines throughout the night. It is in the east at night and in the southwest at dawn.
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What’s up for January?
A parade of planets, Saturn and Venus cross paths, Mars making its opposition, and the Quadrantid meteors scene.
In January, you’ll have the chance to take in four bright planets in one, expansive view.
After a full month of darkness, you’ll see Venus and Saturn in the southwest for the first two hours, while Jupiter shines brightly overhead, and Mars rises in the east. Technically Uranus and Neptune are also there, but they don’t appear as “bright planets”. These multi-planet sightings aren’t extremely rare, but they don’t happen every year, so it’s worth checking.
Now, these events are sometimes called planetary “alignments,” and while it’s true that they will appear more or less along a line in the sky, that’s what planets always do. This line is called the ecliptic, and it represents the plane of the solar system in which the planets orbit the sun. Coincidentally, this is why we sometimes see the planets approaching each other in the sky, as we see them along a line as they circle the cosmic racetrack.
That’s exactly what we’ll be seeing from Venus and Saturn as they move toward their closest approach in mid-January. After the start of the month, they get closer and closer each evening, appearing at their most relaxed before going their separate ways on the 17th and 18th. Remember, they’re actually millions of miles away in space, so when you observe them, you’re looking clear across the entire solar system!
Mars reaches “opposition” this month, which is when the planet is directly opposite Earth from the Sun, forming a straight line. This occurs around the time the planet is closest to Earth, and shows it at its largest and brightest. For Mars, opposition occurs every two years. It won’t be the most spectacular ever, but it’s still closer than average, and offers a great opportunity to observe the nearest planet where NASA’s five missions are currently operating.
And on the 13th, the full moon reaches Mars, appearing very close to the red planet that evening. Across the United States and eastern Canada, the moon will be seen passing in front of Mars in a few hours, as the pair rises in the eastern sky. Mars will also be the only planet in the January morning sky. You will find him roaming the west in the morning twilight.
Quadrantid meteors peak in the morning hours on January 3. Moonlight interference will not be a problem, as the moon is only crescent and sets early at night. The best way to see meteors is to observe from a clear, dark sky away from bright city lights after midnight, and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Meteor rates will be highest near dawn, and you’ll see more meteors from rural locations than from suburban areas. Now, it’s the best shower from the Northern Hemisphere, and observers in the Northwest and Pacific region are likely to have the best views this year.
Here are the moon phases for January:
Stay up-to-date on all of NASA’s missions to the solar system and beyond science.nasa.gov. I’m Preston Dyches from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and here’s what’s happening for this month.
