Stargazing Information

This Week's Stargazing Tips

January 4

Spica, the leading light of the constellation Virgo, keeps company with the last-quarter Moon late tonight. It stands to the lower left of the Moon as they rise in the week hours of the morning, and to its left at first light.

January 5

The planet Saturn is in good view early tomorrow. It perches to the left of the Moon at first light, and looks like a bright golden star.

January 6

The globular star cluster M2 stands low in the west at nightfall, in the constellation Aquarius. It’s not quite bright enough to see with the eye alone, but binoculars show it as a small, fuzzy blob of light. It contains perhaps 150,000 stars.

January 7

Antares, the heart of the scorpion, stands below the Moon at first light tomorrow and to the right of the Moon on Wednesday. The star shines bright orange, so it’s hard to miss.

Lunar Phases

Last Jan. 4, 9:58 pm

New Jan. 11, 1:44 pm

First Jan. 18, 5:45 pm

Full Jan. 26, 10:38 pm

Times are U.S. Central Time.

Perigee Jan. 10

Apogee Jan. 22

The full Moon of January is known as the Old Moon, Moon After Yule, or Wolf Moon..