The Sky This Week - Thursday January 3 to Thursday January 10

The New Moon is Sunday, January 6. Mars is visible low in the evening skies. The Earth is at Perihelion on the 3rd.  Venus is bright in the morning sky with Mercury and Jupiter below. The crescent Moon is is close to Jupiter on the 3rd, between Jupiter and Mercury on the 4th. The Milky way  graces the evening sky.

The Earth is at Perihelion on January 3, where it is closest to the Sun. The New Moon is Sunday, January 6.  The Moon is at Apogee, when it is furthest from the Earth, on the 9th.

Morning twilight sky on Thursday, January 3 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 5:22 ACDST (45 minutes before sunrise). Venus is bright with Mercury and Jupiter below it and Mercury low to the horizon. The crescent Moon is close to Venus. The left inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at this time.

Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time (45 minutes before sunrise)

Evening sky on  Saturday, January 5 as seen looking west from Adelaide at 22:18 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 5 as seen looking South-east from Adelaide at 22:18 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset).



During the holidays many people will be away from the city lights. This is a perfect time to observe our wonderful southern sky. This week the Moon is New so this is an excellent time to look at the wonderful clusters and nebula of our southern skies with the unaided eye or binoculars.

The Milky way stretches from the Southern cross in the south to the distinctive constellation of Orion and beyond. The Mily ways satellite dwarf galaxies, the Magellanic clouds, (between and below the bright stars Canopus and Achernar) are easily seen away from the city lights.

Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. Click to embiggen.


 Venus climbs higher in the morning skies and Jupiter is heading towards it.

Mercury  is low in the morning twilight and is near the Moon on the 4th.

Jupiter  climbs higher in the morning sky heading towards Venus. On the 3rd the crescent Moon is close to Jupiter, on the 4th the crescent Moon is between Jupiter and Mercury.

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

Saturn is lost in the twilight.

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/