The Sky This Week - Thursday January 9 to Thursday January 16

The Full Moon is Thursday January 16. Jupiter is visible in the evening sky and the Moon is close to Jupiter on the 15th. Mars is prominent in the early morning. Saturn rises higher in the morning sky.

The Full Moon is Thursday January 16. The Moon is at apogee on the 16th.

Evening sky on Saturday January 15 looking north-east  as seen from Adelaide at 22:00 pm ACDST in South Australia. The inset shows the view of Jupiter through a telescope at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).

Jupiter is in the constellation Gemini.

Jupiter rises around 19:45 pm local daylight saving time, and is highest just after midnight. It is high enough to observe telescopically in the late evening.  

It is now well above the north-eastern horizon near the bright stars Castor and Pollux, the twins of Gemini. It is quite easy to see as the brightest object above the north-eastern sky.  Jupiter’s Moons are readily visible in binoculars.

Venus is lost in the twilight.

Morning sky on Sunday January 12 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 5:00 am ACDST in South Australia. Mars is high above the horizon, Saturn is lower to the horizon. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).

Mars is is in the constellation of Virgo. Saturn is in Libra.

Mars rises still higher in the morning twilight, and is visible well before twilight.


 Saturn is visible above the eastern horizon before dawn. It is almost high enough for decent telescopic observation.

Mercury  is lost in the twilight.

There are lots of interesting things in the sky to view with a telescope. Especially with Venus so prominent in the sky.  If you don’t have a telescope, now is a good time to visit one of your local astronomical societies open nights or the local planetariums.

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEDST, Western sky at 10 pmAEDST. For further details and more information on what’s up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.