Introduction
Thanks to a stormy end to December, I missed out on Comet Leonard. Utah desperately needs as much precipitation as it can get, so I suppose me missing out on a comet is acceptable! I was able to view Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter shortly after sunset, however. Orion the Hunter was also an easy target to see between the clouds. I also missed the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope on the 25th, but have been keeping up-to-date on the mission. So far everything is looking good! I'm excited for the discoveries this massive telescope will reveal.
January will hopefully continue to bring in the needed precipitation, even though I am anxious to do some astrophotography. The first month of 2022 will show us Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn forming a line in the early evening sky. The early risers may also notice Mars returning to the sky. Observers will also be in for a treat during the first few days of the month with the Quadrantid meteor shower peaking without the brightness of the Moon interfering.
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| Mercury |
Mercury will be found between brilliant Venus and Saturn during the first week or so of the month. Mercury will continue to climb higher in the early evening sky until the 7th when it reaches greatest eastern elongation from our vantage point. Mercury and Saturn will continue to move closer together until the 13th when the pair can be found within 4°. The inner planet will now fall quickly towards the Sun and will reach inferior conjunction on the 23rd. At this time, Mercury will be lost from view.
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| Venus |
Venus will be found close to the Sun this month as it reaches inferior conjunction with our nearest star on the 8th. Our sister planet will return to the morning sky around the middle of the month. Venus will continue to move away from the Sun making it easier to spot before sunrise.
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| Mars |
Mars returned to the morning sky in December. The Red Planet will continue to rise before the Sun each morning while also rising slightly earlier with each passing day. During the first week, Mars and Antares will be found close in the morning sky before sunrise. By the end of the first week, Mars will have moved away from this red star and will continue to do so all month. Near the 20th, Venus will be found in the morning sky close to Mars. The brilliance of our sister planet will likely draw your attention away from the dim red glow of Mars. Onward form the 20th, Venus and Mars will approach each other in the morning sky until February, when Venus will be found higher in the sky.
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| Jupiter |
Jupiter and Saturn will be easy to spot after sunset. The two gas giants are falling closer to the Sun from our vantage point and will soon be lost from view for a short time.
Jupiter will be brighter and found higher in the sky than Saturn after sunset. January will be a great time to get your last views of Jupiter and the Galilean Moons before it's lost from view. The Moon will join Jupiter in the evening sky on the 5th.
Saturn will be found in the west shortly after sunset. Like Mercury, you will have to view this planet shortly after sunset before it sinks below the horizon. This pair of planets will be found close in the sky on the 13th but by the 20th, both planets will be found too close to the Sun to be viewed.
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| Neptune |
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| Uranus |
The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars. Uranus can be found high in the sky after sunset. The Pleiades will continue to follow this ice giant through the sky this month. The Moon will join Uranus on the 11th in the night sky.
Neptune continues to trail behind Jupiter but ahead of Uranus this month. This most distant planet will be joined by the Moon on the 7th.
Meteor Shower
This year will start off running with a great meteor shower, the Quadrantids. The Moon will not interfere with this shower, as has been the case for several past showers. The Quadrantids will be active between the 28th of December until the 12th of January, with the peak date falling on the morning of the 3rd. The peak date will bring the chance to see up to 120 meteors per hour if you are able to get away from city lights. The current weather forecast shows that we may have some clouds on the 3rd with a low temperature of 31°, just below freezing. This will likely change, as do all weather forecasts, so be sure to check the weather before heading out to watch this meteor shower! These meteors will appear to radiate from Bootes, which can be found high in the sky around 4 in the morning. This constellation consists of the bright star Arcturus, so look towards this star and you should see some meteors!
Spot Me....🕵️
I've had you try to spot quite a few different objects in the night sky, most of which require a telescope. With the cold and storms that plague Utah during this time of year, I encourage you to view some easy targets again this month. During the first part of the month, try to view Mercury, Venus, and Saturn before they dip below the western horizon. While you are looking at these planets, you might as well catch a glimpse of Jupiter, which will be found higher in the sky. If you miss Venus, try again towards the end of the month when it rises before the Sun. I also challenge you to view Mars before sunrise which will be joined by Venus towards the end of the month.
I also encourage you to view the Quadrantid Meteor Shower around the peak date of the 3rd. I don't think that you will be disappointed, as long as the weather permits it. Remember to look east towards Arcturus which will rise at around 1 on the morning of the 3rd. The higher this star climbs into the sky, the more meteors you should be able to spot. Be sure to dress warmly!
Monthly Breakdown
January 02: New Moon 🌑
January 03: Quadrantid Meteor shower peaks
January 03: Moon passes within 3° of Mercury
January 04: Moon passes within 4° of Saturn
January 05: Moon passes within 4° of Jupiter
January 07: Moon passes within 4° of Neptune
January 07: Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation
January 08: Venus in inferior conjunction
January 09: First Quarter Moon 🌓
January 11: Moon passes within 2° of Uranus
January 17: Full Moon 🌕
January 23: Mercury in inferior conjunction
January 25: Last Quarter Moon 🌗
January 29: Moon passes within 2° of Mars
January 29: Moon passes within 10° of Venus
January 30: Moon passes within 8° of Mercury
Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts. You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
Planet images taken by NASA.
Andrew vs. the Cosmos taken by Jeff Greenland.
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