Ahead of us is a series of spectacular Moon conjunctions. When to observe the sky?

On January 18 at 9:10 p.m. there will be a conjunction with Jupiter, i.e. the approach of these bodies. They will be separated by 2.1 degrees in the sky. A natural satellite will have just over half of its face illuminated, slowly working toward fullness.

Jupiter should become visible around 4:30 p.m., with the Moon visible earlier. Both bodies will be high above the southeastern horizon. They will set below the horizon around 1 a.m.

A series of Moon conjunctions. One on Thursday, another on Friday

The next day, Friday, January 19, there will be another conjunction, this time of the Moon with the planet Uranus, but in this case you need a telescope to see Uranus. However, it can be easily seen with the naked eye as a very bright point of light. In turn, when you look at Jupiter through a telescope, you can see four of its moons (the so-called Galilean moons), as well as cloud belts in the atmosphere.

People who want to see with their own eyes how quickly the Moon moves across the sky against the background of the stars can look on the evening of January 17, then on the day of the conjunction on January 18 and on the following days on January 19. On all three days, the arrangement of objects will be spectacular, but while on Thursday the Moon and Jupiter will be right next to each other, on Wednesday and Friday the Moon will be quite far from the planet.

Conjunctions of the Moon with bright planets or conjunctions between planets are very spectacular astronomical phenomena. There is no need to admire them exactly at the moment of conjunction, it can be done, for example, an hour before or after this moment. Usually, even the day before and the day after the moment of conjunction, the view in the sky is also interesting.

How and where to track phenomena in the sky?

People who want to find out what interesting astronomical phenomena in the sky await us in the coming weeks have many options. For example, planetariums usually have in their repertoire shows showing the view of the night sky at a given time of year. Thematic portals and planetarium websites publish notes presenting the most interesting astronomical phenomena in the sky in a given month.

Astronomy enthusiasts also use planetarium-type computer programs (e.g. the free Stellarium) or mobile applications for this purpose. Astronomical wall calendars are also published (e.g. the “Urania – Advances in Astronomy” calendar). People who want to have a full list of various astronomical phenomena at hand in the form of tables and maps for the entire year can use the free “Astronomical Almanac for 2024” published by the Polish Astronomical Society, available online in the form of an e-book. (PAP,cz/ zan/)