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 29–February 4, 2024
You can stargaze any time of year, but you do need a clear sky. It helps to avoid light pollution, but the moon’s phase is much more important. The main thing to avoid is a full moon, which bleaches the night sky. The week before a full moon is also tricky. In fact, the best moon phase is from the third quarter to the new moon, when there’s no moonlight before midnight. With no moon and a clear sky, you’ll see a few thousand stars, the Milky Way (in summer), meteors, and satellites—all with your naked eyes. It’s accessible to anyone who takes the time to look.
That’s exactly what happens this week, with Friday’s third quarter moon—which rises at midnight and sets at midday—clearing the way for a great view of the stars and constellations of winter. Take some time to go stargazing, picking out the likes of Orion, Taurus and Auriga in the southeastern night sky as soon as it gets dark. It’s also a great week to find the closest giant galaxy to our own—Andromeda!
Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing and astronomy this week:
Thursday, February 1: Moon And Spica
Look to the south before sunrise this morning to see an 65%-lit waning gibbous moon just a degree from Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo.
Friday, February 2: Last Quarter Moon And Groundhog Day
Few see the last quarter moon, mainly because it rises after midnight. However, it’s always worth doing so to get a different perspective on the shadows being thrown across the terminator—the division between the shadows across the lunar surface.
It’s little more than an oddity, but this week’s last quarter moon ends the longest moon phase of the year—8.225 days between the full moon on January 25 and today’s third quarter moon, according to Timeanddate.
Today is also Groundhog Day, a so-called cross-quarter day because it’s halfway between December’s solstice and March’s equinox.
Constellation Of The Month: Taurus
Look to the upper-right of Orion, towards the southeast in the early evening, and you’ll see a loose group of stars—the constellation Taurus, the bull. You can easily identify the bull’s eye by looking for a bright orange star called Aldebaran. Taurus also contains a beautiful cluster of seven bright stars called the Pleiades. If you look to the right of Taurus, you’ll see Jupiter.
Object Of The Week: Andromeda Galaxy
Look towards the northeast after it gets dark and try to spot the W-shaped constellation of Cassiopeia. Then, look towards the southeast to find the “Great Square” of Pegasus. Use the second “V” shape of Cassiopeia to point towards a bright star called Alpheratz, which is at the corner of the “Great Square.” The Andromeda galaxy (M31) is located halfway between Cassiopeia and Alpheratz. It appears as a fuzzy patch of light when you look at it through binoculars.
Sky-Watching Date For Your Diary: August’s Perseid Meteor Shower
If you don’t want to miss the year’s biggest and best display of meteors overnight on Monday/Tuesday, August 12/13, then book a few days off work and stay somewhere rural. Think camping in a national park, glamping or an RV adventure. If you don’t like the sound of standing around for hours getting cold, then find somewhere with an outdoor hot tub (my tried-and-tested way of watching for “shooting stars” without getting a neck ache/cold/frustrated!). Now is a great time to find somewhere and book it before everyone else. After all, it is August.
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.
