The Sky This Week - Thursday January 24 to Thursday January 31

The last Quarter Moon is Monday, January 28. Mars is visible low in the evening skies. With the Moon rsisng later this is an excellent time to view the summer constellations. Venus is bright in the morning sky with Jupiter above moving away from it. The crescent Moon is close to Jupiter on the 31st. Saturn climbs higher in the morning sky.

The last Quarter Moon is Monday, January 28. 

Morning twilight sky on Thursday, January 31 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 5:40 ACDST (60 minutes before sunrise). Venus is bright and is at its  closest to Jupiter.  Saturn is low to the horizon. The left upper insert inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at this time. the lower left insert shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at the same scale and the lower right that of Saturn.

Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise)

Evening sky on  Saturday, January 26 as seen looking west from Adelaide at 22:06 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset). Mars is the brightest object above the western horizon.

 Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Evening sky on  Saturday, January 26 as seen looking north from Adelaide at 22:06 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset). The constellation of Orion dominates the northern sky, closer to the horizon, just to the west of Aldebaran and the A shape of the Hyades is the delightful Pleiades cluster.

Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

 Venus climbs higher in the morning skies and moves away from Jupiter.

Mercury  is lost in the twilight

Jupiter  climbs higher in the morning sky heading away from Venus. Jupiter and the crescent Moon are close on the 31st.

Mars is in Pisces and is readily seen as the brightest object in the western evening sky. Mars sets just before midnight.

Saturn is climbs higher in the morning sky.

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

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/