The planet Jupiter is especially vibrant now. It reaches opposition this weekend, when it lines up opposite the Sun in our sky. It rises around sunset and is in view all night. The planet is also closest to us, so it shines at its brightest.
Weekly Stargazing Tips
Provided by StarDate.org. Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
January 8: Jupiter at Opposition
January 9: Star Cats
Three cats pad across the sky late tonight. The brightest is Leo, the lion, marked by its brightest star, Regulus. Leo Minor, the little lion, stands to Leo's north. The third cat, Lynx, stretches overhead, but you may need the eyes of a lynx to spot it.
January 10: Jupiter Opposition II
Jupiter is at its brightest for the entire year today, shining brighter than any other planet or star in the night sky. The twins of Gemini are close by. Pollux, the brighter twin, is close to the left of Jupiter at nightfall. Castor is farther to the upper left.
January 11: Hot Weather
If you long for warm nights of skywatching, look at the summer sky about an hour before sunrise. The stars of summer evenings appear just before dawn in winter. So tomorrow morning, you can see the stars as they will look during July evenings.
January 12: The Footstool
Mighty Orion the hunter has a mighty resting spot for his tired feet: Cursa, the second-brightest star of Eridanus, the river. As night falls, the star stands above Orion's foot, Rigel, the hunter's brightest star.
January 13: Moon and Antares
The Moon is low in the sky at dawn tomorrow. The bright star Antares, the heart of the scorpion, is close by. Although the Moon is a thin crescent, the dark portion of the lunar disk is illuminated by earthshine, which is sunlight reflected from Earth.
January 14: Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula is in the southeast at nightfall, to the lower right of Orion's Belt. It looks like a big, faint star. Instead of a single star, though, it's a giant complex of gas and dust that has given birth to thousands of stars.