Astroblog: Thursday January 23 to Thursday January 30

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Thursday January 23 to Thursday January 30

The New Moon is Wednesday January 29. In the evening Venus is drawing away from Saturn, but the pair are still close. Saturn, Venus and Mars are visible all together (briefly) in the evening sky (as are Uranus and Neptune, but you can't see them with the unaided eye). Jupiter is past opposition and is visible all evening long. Mars is rising in the evening sky, and was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 16th. Mercury is low in the morning twilight. Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) may be visible in the evening twilight, but is fading.

The New Moon is Wednesday January 29.

Western evening sky on Saturday, January 25 as seen from Adelaide at 21:30 ACDST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Venus is readily visible from early twilight to when the sky is fully dark. Venus is drawing away to Saturn.

The insets are the telescopic views of Venus and Saturn at this time.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) may be visible in the evening twilight in line with Saturn and Venus, but is fading and may be binocular only. For more details and spotter charts see my Comet C/2025 G3 page.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

Northern evening sky on Saturday, January 25 as seen from Adelaide at 22:06 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset), Jupiter is in the north.

The inset is the telescope view of Jupiter at this time. (click to embiggen). A new storm has broken out on Jupiter and may become visible in small telescopes.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

North-eastern sky on Saturday, January 25 as seen from Adelaide at 22:06 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Mars is coming closer to Castor and Pollux and forms a triangle with them.

The inset is the telescope view of Mars at this time. (click to embiggen).

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

Eastern sky on Saturday, January 25 as seen from Adelaide at 5:50 ACDST (45 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). Mercury is low to the horizon below Scorpius.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (45 minutes before sunrise).

Whole sky on Saturday, January 25 as seen from Adelaide at 22:06 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Mars is just rising in the east. Jupiter is in the north. Saturn is now above the western horizon and closest to Venus. Venus is just setting. Orion the hunter is high in the north-east. The planets are outlined so you can see where Uranus and Neptune are in the lineup. Pluto is deep in the twilight.

The Southern Cross is rising in the Southern sky. The moon is New and the fainter clusters and nebula readily visible.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Mercury is low in the morning twilight.

Venus is high in the evening twilight and is readily visible in the evening twilight. In the evening Venus is drawing away from Saturn.

Mars is rising in the evening sky. Mars was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 16th and is visible all night long.

Jupiter is high in the the evening sky when the sky is fully dark.

Saturn is lowering in the evening sky drawing away from Venus.

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.

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

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/

Labels: weekly sky