Last Updated on January 4, 2022 by Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller
Here’s an update from our local Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller:
What’s Up for January? New year, new Moon; midnight meteors; and Mars rises.
January begins with a new moon on the 2nd. And that means the first week of the month is ideal for stargazing because the few days before and after the new moon are the darkest. Head outside around 8 or 9 p.m. all week and look southward to be dazzled by all the bright stars of the Winter Circle, along with the Pleiades, and Orion.
The Quadrantid meteors peak after midnight on Jan. 3, and catch some close pairings of the Moon with Jupiter, Mars, and Venus.
The link below features skywatching highlights for the month, phases of the moon, a daily skywatching guide, skywatching resources, and the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Preston Dyches, Christopher Harris, and Lisa Poje are the science communicators and space enthusiasts who produce this monthly video series for NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Additional astronomy subject matter guidance is provided by Bill Dunford, Gary Spiers, and Lyle Tavernier.