What's Up In The Sky Now?

Jupiter and one of its moons casting a shadow on Jupiter. Photo by DMAS member Scott Dearinger, 2021

January, 2026

Our Solar System - notes by DMAS member, JoAnn Cogil

"The stars are the landmarks of the universe.“ — Sir John Frederick William Herschel, English mathematician and astronomer

Mercury

MERCURY - is now too near the Sun to see with a superior conjunction on the 21st. But wait until February, it will be back.

Venus

VENUS - is also near the Sun with a superior conjunction happening on the 6th. In February it returns as our ‘Evening Star.”

Earth

Earth - it is just COLD outside with the average temperature of 18° in Iowa this month!!!

Mars

MARS - has a solar conjunction on the 9th, so it too is not visible this month

Jupiter

JUPITER - can be seen all night in January and will be at opposition on the 10th. This opposition makes the banded planet brighter than any other time this year, which provides good viewing and photography opportunities. Jupiter’s opposition happens about every 13 months, so it did not occur in 2025 and won’t be this bold again until 2027. The lovely planet rises with the Moon twice this month on the 3rd & the 30th and you will find the pair next to the bright star Pollux in Gemini the Twins constellation.

Saturn

SATURN - sets in the west early evening. On the evening of the 23rd, the ringed planet will be near the Moon low in the west.

Uranus

URANUS - look for the Pleiades this month and Uranus sits just south of the lovely star cluster in the constellation Taurus the Bull.

Neptune

NEPTUNE - stays near Saturn again this month.

The Moon

03 – FULL moon at 4:03 AM CST and is a Supermoon (the 1st of 3 supermoons in 2026)
10 – 3rd / last quarter
18 – NEW moon at 2:53 PM CST
25 – 1st quarter

Full moon this month is known as the “Wolf Moon” as hungry wolves are howling outside. Also known as the “Old Moon” and the “Moon after Yule.”

Fun fact: Scientists report the moon is moving away from our Earth. Each year, the moon steals some of the Earth’s rotational energy and propels itself about 1.5 inches higher in its orbit. This action is actually slowing Earth’s rotation, making days longer by about 1.78 milliseconds per century.

Comet Watch

24P / Schaumasse – is a Jupiter-family periodic comet which is a type of periodic comet with a short orbit, usually less than 20 years, and whose path has been significantly influenced and shaped by Jupiter’s intense gravity which can often lead to smaller orbit periods and/or altered trajectories. This comet’s orbit has an orbital period of about 8.25 years, and its path is influenced by Jupiter’s gravity. Comet 24P is expected to reach perihelion in January and may brighten to magnitude of 9 or 10. It is forecasted to reach the brightest point on the 7th and become visible in the morning eastern sky about 1:30 AM CST and reach its highest point about 6:20 AM. Use a telescope and look after midnight towards the sky around Leo and Boötes and you may get to see its tail as it is on its way out of our solar
3I/ATLAS – is still visible in January 2026 until about the 27th but you will need to use a telescope, and it probably won’t be very spectacular. This comet gets its name because it is the 3rd interstellar object passing through our solar system and was discovered by the ATLAS survey telescope. Observations of its high velocity and its trajectory provided evidence in determining if it was an interstellar object or not. Check out the night sky around the constellations Leo and Virgo. Point your telescope towards the east morning sky before dawn for a chance to see this rare interstellar traveler.
C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) – is a hyperbolic comet which means it comes from the Oort cloud and should be at perihelion on January 20th and reach peak brightness on the 26th. But it is not favorable for Northern Hemisphere observers as it will barely be above the horizon, which will provide good viewing for those in the Southern Hemisphere. It is expected to have its closest approach to Earth in February 2026. Because it is a hyperbolic Oort cloud comet, it is on a trajectory that may eject it from our solar system after it passes the Sun.