by The January new moon will be at 6:57 a.m. ET on January 11, according to the US Naval Observatoryand a day later the planet mercury it will reach its greatest separation from the sun, showing itself as a “morning star.”
New moons occur when the sun and moon share the same celestial longitude, a position also known as conjunction. At a new stage, you can’t look at the moon from World because the illuminated side is out in front of us.
New moons are only visible during solar eclipses; The only way to see the new moon is when it passes in front of the sun, creating a solar eclipsewhich is not happening this month (the next one is for April 8).
Related: New moon calendar 2024: When is the next new moon?
Visible Planets
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Looking for a telescope to see the planets of the solar system up close? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top choice in our best beginners telescope guide.
The day after the New moon (Jan. 12), the sun rises at 7:19 am Eastern Time in New York. Mercury rises at 5:40 am, so by 7 am it will be about 12 degrees high in the southeast. The planet reaches its greatest western elongation that evening at 2:18 p.m., according to the skywatching site In-the-Sky.org. Mercury will still be hard to see, but Venus, which will be about 19 degrees high, can be used to find it.
Venus It is the single brightest star-like object in the sky, and will be above and to the right of Mercury, which is fainter and only visible just as the sky begins to lighten. One should try to see Mercury as soon as possible after it rises, as the bright sky will make it more difficult to see as it approaches sunrise.
As one moves south the viewing prospects for Mercury improve as the angle of Mercury’s orbit (as seen from Earth) to the horizon becomes steeper. If one is in Miami, for example, Mercury rises at 5:29 a.m. and at sunrise, which is at 7:09 am, Mercury is full 18 degrees high. The innermost planet won’t be visible at that point because the sky is too bright, but by 6:30 am it will be about 12 degrees above the southeastern sky.
The best viewing prospects are near the equator. In Quito, sunrise on January 12 is at 6:15 am and Mercury rises at 4:38 local time. By sunrise it is 23 degrees high in the southeast, and half an hour before sunrise at 5:45 am Mercury is 15 degrees high. As one moves into the Southern Hemisphere the elevation of the planet will decrease again; in Buenos Aires, the planet rises at 4:13 am, with sunrise at 5:53 am A half hour before sunrise the planet is about 12 degrees high in the southeast; as in the Northern Hemisphere Venus can be used to receive Mercury; Venus, about 22 degrees above the eastern horizon, will be above and to the left of Mercury.
On the day of the new moon, Venus is still bright morning star, and when the moon is not out it is the last heavenly thing that one sees with the naked eye; it is a distinctly bright star even quite close to sunrise. Venus rises at 4:45 am on January 11 in New York, with sunrise at 6:49 am At sunrise the altitude of the planet is 17 degrees.
Like Mercury, the planet appears further above the horizon as one approaches the equator and then begins to fall again as one enters the Southern Hemisphere. In San Juan, Puerto Rico. For example, the planet rises at 4:27 local time and at sunrise (6:59 am) the entire planet is 30 degrees above the eastern horizon. In Quito the planet rises earlier, at 3:46 am, and you could see the planet almost directly above Mercury in the east-southeast. And by sunrise at 6:17 a.m., Venus is 34 degrees above the horizon.
The day of the new moon also when Mars will begin to emerge from the glare of the sun in the hours before dawn. From New York City (and locations of similar latitude) Mars rises at 6:23 local time, just 26 minutes before the Sun – be lucky if you can see it. In places further south Mars rises further ahead of the sun, but not by much; in Quito, for example, the planet rises at 5:12 local time, but sunrise is at 6:18 am, and half an hour before sunrise the planet is only about 8 degrees high. As January progresses the planet will appear further west of the Sun, with the Sun moving eastwards against the background starsmaking it more visible and part of a line of three earth (or rock) planets that stretches from the horizon upwards in the hours before day.
In the evening sky, Jupiter and Saturn both are visible from locations at about 41 degrees North – New York, Chicago, Omaha, or Madrid (Spain) – in the evening, and both are in the southern half of the sky. By about 6:30 pm, when the sky is completely dark, Jupiter will be directly southwest, a bright yellow-white “star” about 61 degrees above the horizon. Saturn will be weaker, and much closer to the southwest horizon as the planet sets at 8:22 pm in New York. Jupiter sets later at 1:34 am on January 12th. For Southern Hemisphere sky watchers the situation is the same in the middle latitudes; in Melbourne, Australia, for example, on the evening of January 11 Saturn sets at 11:05 local time, and the planet is about 17 degrees high in the west by 9:30 pm (sunset in Melbourne is at 8:46 pm ) with Jupiter 36 degrees above the horizon in the north-northwest. Jupiter is in the northern half of the sky because the sky is “reversed” from Southern latitude (although one is actually looking at the stars from the other side of the equator).
Stars and constellations
Winter constellations launched for Northern Hemisphere viewers in January. By about 6 pm Orion, the Hunter, is completely above the Eastern horizon, and its stars can be seen appearing as the sky darkens. the faces of Orion Bull, which is in the early evening above the Hunter (the constellation is actually to the west and north). The Hyades can be seen, a cluster of bright stars that is the “face” of the bull.
Looking to the left, above Orion’s head, one sees Gemini, the Twins, and the two stars Castor and Pollux. Castor is the higher of the two stars, as Gemini is on its “side” just after they rise above the horizon. To the north and west of the Twins – above them in the early evening – is Auriga, the Charioteer. Auriga contains the bright star Capella, which does not set from the latitude of New York City and above – it is one of the basin stars.
By about 9 pm on January 21, Canis Major and Canis Minor, the “hunting dogs” of Orion, have cleared the sky and are in the southeast. Canis Major is below Orion (to the south) and Canis Minor is to the east (to the right of Orion, to the observer’s left). Includes Canis Major, the Big Dog Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Looking to the left and above Sirius one will see Procyon, the brightest star in the Little Dog. Procyon, Sirius and Betelgeuse in Orion form the Winter Triangle stardom that is easy to see even from lightly polluted areas in cities and suburbs.
By 11 pm Leo the Lion completely above the horizon; it can be seen looking for Sirius which is almost due south at that point, and turning left (east) and up; one will see Procyon to the southeast. Continue to the left of Procyon and down a little until there is one looking almost east; One should be able to see Regulus, or Alpha Leonis, also known as Cor Leonis, the Heart of the Lion. Continue diagonally towards the sky and one encounters Denebola, the Lion’s tail.
By this time of night Orion is completely “straight” and the stars of the Belt make a line from east to west at a slightly upward angle; it is much easier to see the shape formed by Orion’s shoulders and legs. If one looks at the three stars of the Belt, Betelgeuse is the one above and to the left, and Rigel, the foot of Orion, is below and to the right. If the local city lights are not too bright a fainter star can be seen just above and to the right of Rigel; this is the beginning of Eridanus, the River, and the star is called Cursa or Beta Eridani, because it is the second brightest star in the constellation. Eridanus’ brightest star, Achernar, is not visible at all north of latitude 33 degrees. In the continental US that means one has to be in one of the states along the Gulf Coast, in the southern half of Arizona or New Mexico, or San Diego.
For Southern Hemisphere observers, January is when Puppis, Carina and Vela, the three constellations of the ship (associated with the Argo, the famous ship Jason and the Argonauts) are visible. As it is the Australian summer the sun does not set until after 8 pm; For the sky to become completely dark it is necessary to wait until about 9:30 pm At that point in the north-east sky one would see Orion “upside down”, with the stars of the Belt above Betelgeuse, which is from Melbourne below and to the right.
Meanwhile, Rigel is up and to the left, and this time when one follows the River from Cursa, one goes up a full 62 degrees to a point just northwest of Achernar. If one uses Betelgeuse and Sirius as a “guide,” a line can be drawn between them to the south (this will be on the right) and above that line is bright Canopus, the brightest star in Carina, Caolna Loinge, about 52 step up. and due east. Carina is one of three constellations that make up the legendary Argo, the ship sailed by Theseus, the hero of Greek legend. Between Canopus and Sirius there is a group of seven fainter stars which form an elongated shape something like a foot and ankle; that’s Puppis, the Poop Deck. Look just south (right) and you can see a ring-shaped group of stars that is Vela, the Isle of Man.
Turning a little further south – it will be on the right – Crux, the Southern Cross, can be seen just 12 to 17 degrees high in the south-southeast. From the latitude of Melbourne there is a curtain Crux – it never sets. Crux is one of the smallest of the 88 constellations in the sky; at that time in January it is pointed towards the sky. If one turns almost directly south one will see Rigil Kentaurus, otherwise known Alpha Centauri. The Centaur is mostly below the horizon, but by midnight the constellation is almost fully expanded.
If you’re hoping to look at the planets or anything else in the night sky during a new moon, our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars are a great place to start.
And if you’re looking to photograph any of these or the night sky in general, check out our guide to photographing the moon, how to photograph the planets, plus our best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography. .
