Each Monday, I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere), but be sure to check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
The Night Sky This Week: January 22-28, 2024
This week’s highlight has to be the first full moon of 2024, known as the “Wolf Moon,” which you can witness rising in the east on Thursday. Before that, look out for a triangle formation of a waxing gibbous moon with two bright stars on Monday, followed by the almost full moon in Gemini on Wednesday. After seeing the “Wolf Moon” rise, see it shining close to Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo, on Saturday.
Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing and astronomy this week:
Monday, January 22: A Moon And Stars Triangle
Look to the east-southeast after dark today, and you’ll see a 90%-lit waxing gibbous moon form a vast triangle in the sky with two bright stars—Aldebaran (in Taurus) and Betelgeuse (in Orion).
Wednesday, January 24: Moon In Gemini
A 99%-lit, almost full moon will be visible in the northeastern sky well before dark. Once it does, look out for the two “twins” of Gemini close to it—the bright stars Pollux (just above the moon) and Castor (just above Pollux).
Thursday, January 25: Full ‘Wolf Moon’ Rising
The first full moon of 2024 and the second of winter in the northern hemisphere, the “Wolf Moon”—also known as the “Quiet Moon” and the “Moon After Yule”—is one of the highest-hanging of the year. Though turning full at 12:54 p.m. EST (17:54 UTC) today, January’s full moon will be best seen at moonrise from North America. The best view of the moon rising at dusk will be in Europe tomorrow night.
Saturday, January 27: Venus, Mercury And Mars
If you’re up before sunrise, look to the east to see brilliant Venus shining brightly. Below-left, close to the horizon, will be Mars and Mercury in very close conjunction—just 0.2 degrees apart—though they will be tough to find even in binoculars. Be very careful as sunrise gets closer—you DO NOT want to accidentally get the sun in your field of view while looking through binoculars.
Saturday, January 27: Moon And Regulus
Evening brings another celestial sight of note. Now 94%-lit, the waning gibbous moon will shine close to Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo and the 21st most brilliant star in the night sky. It’s 77 light-years from the solar system.
Object Of The Month: The Moon In Binoculars
When you’re observing the full moon this month, find any pair of binoculars and look for these three things:
- Craters: bright circular formations with a darker center. The contrast between the lighter and darker areas of the craters can be particularly striking.
- Lunar maria: the dark patches on the moon’s surface are known as lunar “seas” or maria. They’re ancient volcanic plains that were filled with lava.
- Rilles: long, winding, narrow channels on the moon’s surface that were likely formed by ancient lava flows.
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium and The Sky Live. Check planet-rise/planet-set, sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times for where you are.
I’m an expert on the night sky and author of Stargazing In 2024: 50 Easy Things To See In The Night Sky From North America. For the very latest on sky events and the total solar eclipse please subscribe or check my main feed regularly for new articles.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
