Astronomy EssentialsTonight

Visible planets and night sky guide for January

January 21: Last quarter moon

Half left of the moon illuminated. The visible side looks light gray and has some dark gray areas.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mohamed Mohamed in Tripoli, Libya, captured the last quarter moon on December 23, 2024. Thank you!

The moment of last quarter moon will fall at 20:31 UTC (2:31 p.m. CST) on January 21, 2025. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon. Look for it high in the sky before dawn.

Want more? Here are 4 keys to understanding the moon’s phases.

January 20 and 21 mornings: Moon and Spica

Chart showing a half-disk for the moon on January 20 and 21 with a dot for the star Spica.
The moon, close to its 3rd quarter phase, will lie near the bright star Spica on the mornings of January 20 and 21. What’s more, a few lucky observers in the Cape Verde Islands, parts of west and south Africa, and south Madagascar will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Spica on January 21. Others will see the moon close to Spica. So, if you look outside on the morning and don’t see Spica … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Spica is the brightest star in Virgo the Maiden. They’ll rise around midnight and be visible through dawn. And it’s a good time to look for the moon in the morning daylight sky. Chart via EarthSky.

Meet Spica: The bright beacon of Virgo

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Orion, and your place in the galaxy


EarthSky founder Deborah Byrd wants you to come to know the constellation Orion the Hunter. It’s one of the most famous constellations because it’s easy to identify, with several noticeably bright and interesting stars. Plus, Orion can help you visualize your place in the Milky Way galaxy. What’s not to like? Click here for the video. Prefer to read? Click here.

A planetary alignment on January 25?


Will the planets align on January 25, 2025? By now, you might have seen the breathless announcements claiming that they will. Is it true? Get the scoop on planets in January 2025 from EarthSky’s OB stargazers Deborah Byrd and John Goss!

Sphere with green line for the ecliptic showing the location of the planets Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in the evening sky on February 4, 2025.
Here’s the view of 4 bright planets in late January and early February 2025. They lie along the path the sun travels in daytime (the green line on our chart). As darkness falls each evening, you’ll find Venus in the west, headed toward greatest brilliancy. The steady golden light of Saturn is below Venus in the west after sunset. High overhead is bright Jupiter. And, in early evening, you’ll find the red planet Mars ascending in the east.
Starry sky with 4 planets labeled. Mars is to the left, Jupiter is in the middle-left, Venus is very bright to the right side and Saturn is just below Venus.
Here’s a view of the planets from an all-sky camera in Wyoming on January 15, courtesy of EarthSky’s voice of the night sky Marcy Curran. What a planetary treat! Image via WyoAstro Observatory.

Read more: Will there be a planetary alignment on January 25?

January 24 and 25 mornings: Moon and Antares

Chart showing a crescent shape for the moon on January 24 and 25 near a red dot for Antares.
The waning crescent moon will lie close to red Antares on the morning of January 24, 2025. Antares is the brightest star in Scorpius the Scorpion. What’s more, a few lucky observers in parts of Madagascar, south Australia, south Polynesia, and New Zealand will see the moon occult – or pass in front of – Antares at 0 UTC on January 25. Others will see the moon close to Antares. So if you look outside on the morning of January 24 and don’t see Antares … that might be because it’s behind the moon! Then it will lie between Antares and the horizon on the next morning. Look for them about an hour before sunrise. Do you see a glow on the unlit portion of the moon? That’s earthshine. It’s light reflected from Earth. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: Massive ruby red Antares is the Scorpion’s Heart

January 26 and 27 mornings: Moon and Antares

A slender crescent shape for the moon on January 26 and 27 with a red dot for Antares.
The thin waning crescent moon will move away from Antares and will hang closer to the eastern horizon before sunrise on January 26 and 27. Look for them about 40 minutes before sunrise. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

January 29: New moon

The moment of new moon will fall at 12:36 UTC (6:36 a.m. CST) on January 29, 2025. New moons rise and set with the sun. Nights around the new moon are perfect for stargazing. See EarthSky’s best places to stargaze.

January 30 and 31 evenings: Moon, Venus and Saturn

Two slender crescents for the moon on January 30 and 31. A white multi-point star for Venus and a white dot for Saturn are near the moons.
The thin waxing crescent moon will hang in the bright twilight low on western horizon shortly after sunset on January 30, 2025. Brilliant Venus will shine much higher in the sky with the steady golden light of Saturn nearby. On the last evening of January, the crescent moon full with earthshine will float near Venus and will lie close to Saturn. Chart via EarthSky.

Read more: Venus brightest in evening sky around February 14, 2025

January stars

If you’re out stargazing on any January evening, look for these stars and constellations overhead in the sky.

Star chart of constellation Orion with stars labeled.
First, look for one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky,Orion the Hunter. It’s visible in both hemispheres. It rises in the east on January evenings. The 3 bright stars in a row – Orion’s Belt – are sure to catch you eye. Chart via EarthSky.
Star chart of the constellation Cassiopeia.
Next, look for the 5-star W or M shape of Cassiopeia the Queen. Not only is it easy to spot, it is useful to find other stars, constellations and deep-sky objects. Look for it high overhead as darkness falls in early January. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Stargazing tips for beginners

January morning planet

Star chart for Northern Hemisphere viewers showing a white dot with an arrow pointing toward horizon. A red dot for Antares lies above that line.
During the first half of January, Northern Hemisphere viewers can find Mercury well placed in the bright morning twilight about 30 minutes before sunrise. The little planet might be difficult to spot, but binoculars might help. The bright star Antares will shine nearby. Mercury reached its farthest distance from the sun in late December. Chart via EarthSky.

All-sky charts for January evening planets

Sphere with green line for the ecliptic showing the location of the planets Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in the evening sky on January 5, 2025.
Here’s the view of 4 bright planets on the evening of January 5, 2025. They will lie along the path the sun travels in daytime (the green line on our chart). If you have an unobstructed view of the sky, you can easily see all 4 of them at once. By the way, Uranus and Neptune are there as well but require optical aid to see. Brilliant Venus is a beacon in dark skies in the west with the steady golden light of Saturn nearby. Venus and Saturn were been getting closer to each other until January 17, then, they will move apart. High overhead is bright Jupiter – it’s brighter than all stars – and then the red planet Mars is in the eastern sky. Mars is visible all night and is as bright as Sirius, our brightest star.

January planet visible all night

Chart showing a red dot for Mars moving to the upper right along a red line and past two white dots on the left for Castor and Pollux.
Mars is on display this month and closing in on the bright stars Castor and Pollux. It’ll be visible all night this month. Mars was closest to Earth – about 5.3 light-minutes away – on January 12. Mars laid near the full moon on January 13 and was occulted by the moon on January 14. Then it laid opposite the sun from Earth – or at opposition – on January 15-16. It reached magnitude -1.4, matching that of Sirius, our brightest star. Mars is closest to Earth roughly every 2 years. So we won’t see Mars this bright again until 2027. Chart via EarthSky.

Mars at its biggest and brightest this month

Lunar occultation of Mars on January 13, 2025. Images here!

January evening planets

A series of three charts showing Venus rising and Saturn dropping closer to the horizon. The two dots pass on January 17 and 18.
Venus was shining brightly after dark in the western evening sky and reached its greatest distance from the sun on January 9-10. It’ll set about 4 hours after sunset and is a beacon in a dark sky. Saturn will be there too – it’s less bright than Venus – but they’ll make a lovely pair in the evening sky as they race toward each other. Their closest approach was on the evenings of January 17-18, 2025. The planetary pair made an eye-catching sight and laid about 2.2 degrees apart at their closest. Chart via EarthSky.

Venus now brilliant in the evening sky

Chart showing a large white dot for Jupiter among other dots for the stars Capella and Aldebaran. Plus smaller dots for the Pleiades and the Hyades.
Bright Jupiter will lie high in the east in the evening sky. It is surrounded by the bright stars Capella and Aldebaran, and the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters. Jupiter was at its brightest last month and will fade a bit this month. But it still outshines even the brightest stars. Jupiter will rise before sunset in January and set a few hours before sunrise by month’s end. It’ll remain in the constellation of Taurus the Bull until it passes behind the sun – in its solar conjunction – in June. Chart via EarthSky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Sky dome maps for visible planets and night sky

Circle constellations, planets, the moon, the Milky Way and celestial lines.
Here is the sky dome view for January 2025. It shows what is above the horizon at mid-evening for mid-northern latitudes. A broad arrow on the celestial equator shows how far the
sky will rotate in the next hour, carrying stars up from the eastern and down to the western horizon. The view may vary depending on your location. Image via Guy Ottewell’s 2025 Astronomical Calendar.

Guy Ottewell explains sky dome maps Read more: Guy Ottewell’s 2024 Astronomical Calendar.

Heliocentric solar system visible planets and more

Circle with sun at center, planets around, and zodiac names on outer edge.
Heliocentric view of solar system, January 2025. Chart via Guy Ottewell’s 2025 Astronomical Calendar. Used with permission.

Read more: Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts.

Some resources to enjoy

For more videos of great night sky events, visit EarthSky’s YouTube page.

Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to daily emails from EarthSky. It’s free!

Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location near you.

Post your own night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.

See the indispensable Observer’s Handbook, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Visit Stellarium-Web.org for precise views from your location.

Almanac: Bright visible planets (rise and set times for your location).

Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.

A swam flying in front of the light and dark bands of the Milky Way to signify Cygnus the Swan.
Attention amateur astronomers! Guy Ottewell’s popular and informative Astronomical Calendar for 2025 is available in both electronic and printed versions.

Bottom line: Visible planets and night sky guide for January 2025. Tonight, look for the last quarter moon. It’ll rise after midnight your local time and set around noon.

Posted 
January 21, 2025
 in 
Astronomy Essentials

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