You can see these constellations, planets and shooting stars in the sky in January 2023
Created: 01/02/2023 12:57 p.m
By: Tanya Banner
What can you see in the starry sky?
The monthly overview shows it.
© imago/Science Photo Library
The night sky in January 2023 not only has many stars to offer.
Particular attention is paid to the meeting of two celestial bodies: an overview.
Frankfurt – From an astronomical point of view, the year 2023 starts with several particularly bright stars in the sky.
Sirius - the brightest star in the sky - can be seen in the southeast at the beginning of the year.
The star in the constellation Canis Major flickers bluish-white. Viewed through binoculars or a telescope, the light from the star is reminiscent of a disco ball.
January's other bright stars include Capella, a bright yellowish star high in the sky in the Auriga constellation.
Aldebaran shines reddish in the constellation Taurus in the southwest.
In the east, the two main stars of the constellation Gemini, Castor and Pollux, shine brightly, and Procyon in the constellation Canis Minor can also be seen brightly.
The stars Betelgeuse and Rigel in the Orion constellation are also difficult to miss.
View of the starry sky: Which constellations, planets and phenomena can be seen in January
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Night sky in January 2023: Six stars form a winter hexagon
Six of these stars - Sirius, Procyon, Castor, Capella, Aldebaran and Rigel - form the winter hexagon seen in the southern sky at midnight.
The stars Betelgeuse, Sirius and Procyon also form an equilateral triangle - the Winter Triangle.
Both the Winter Hexagon and the Winter Triangle, while prominent in the sky, are not constellations designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
These are so-called asterisms, precisely defined patterns of stars that are not constellations but are frequently used.
The Big Dipper is also an asterism, as it is only part of the Ursa Major constellation.
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Great photo motif in the night sky in January: Venus meets Saturn and the narrow crescent moon
If you are looking for a highlight in the starry sky in January, you should get stuck with Venus.
"After a long absence, it will reappear in the evening sky," says Sven Melchert from the Association of Star Friends.
"It can be found at dusk over the southwestern horizon from about the middle of the month." Visibility of Venus as the "evening star" improves every day until it reaches its maximum brightness in July.
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Already in January, the planet provides the photo motif of the month: "On January 22, Venus passes close to the ringed planet Saturn, which in turn increasingly disappears at dusk," explains Melchert to fr.de.
"A day later you can see the very narrow crescent of the waxing moon next to the two planets.
This is the heavenly highlight in January and a great photo opportunity.”
No planet in the night sky can hold a candle to Venus in January
In addition to Venus, other planets can also be seen in the sky in January - but no planet can hold a candle to the evening star.
As always, Mercury can only be seen briefly in the sky and is not easy to find due to its proximity to the sun.
At the end of January it can be seen for a short time just before sunrise in the morning sky.
Saturn says goodbye a little earlier every day in January - it sets shortly after dark and will soon disappear completely from the evening sky.
The red planet Mars can still be seen quite brightly in the sky in January - still drawing on its opposition position on December 8, 2022, when it was directly opposite the Sun in the sky.
However, its brightness continues to decrease over time.
Bright Jupiter sets well before midnight in January and will soon only be in the daytime sky.
Moon phases in January 2023 | |
|---|---|
January 1st: | Waxing Crescent |
January 7: | Full moon (12:09 am) |
January 14: | Waning Crescent |
21th January: | New Moon (9:55 p.m.) |
Shooting Stars in January 2023: Full Moon disrupts the Quadrantids
If you still have wishes after the Geminid meteor shower in December, you can get rid of them right away in January: The Quadrantid meteor shower will reach its maximum on January 4th.
With up to 130 shooting stars per hour, it is one of the most active meteor showers of the year.
However, the moon could throw a spanner in the works for observers: January 7th is full moon and the light of the fully illuminated moon is likely to "drown" many a shooting star.
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