NASA skywatching tips for January 2023

Today’s Video of the Day from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory describes the planets and stars that you can observe in the night sky throughout the month of January 2023.

“All month after sunset, you can see four planets without the aid of binoculars or a telescope. You’ll find Mars in the east, Jupiter high overhead, and Saturn in the southwest with Venus. January 2nd finds the Moon and Mars high in the southeast after sunset, in a lovely grouping with the Pleiades and Aldebaran,” says NASA.

“Then from about January 18th to the 24th, watch Venus cross paths with Saturn as the glow of sunset fades. Look for the pair low in the southwest about 45 minutes after the Sun dips below the horizon. The two planets appear at their closest on January 22, when they’ll be only a third of a degree apart on the sky. You’ll be able to capture both of them in the same field of view through binoculars or a small telescope.^

“On the 23rd, the two planets are still only a degree apart, and will be joined by a slim crescent moon. And on January 25th, looking to the southwest 30-45 minutes after sunset, look high above Venus and Saturn to find the Moon only a degree apart from Jupiter, about halfway up the sky.”

Video Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer