Mercury - The elusive but bright planet Mercury will pop out in bright dusk skies after sunset around the second week of this month; look for the star-like object low in the southwest skies, nearly on the horizon about 30 minutes before darkness. By late month Mercury will be much easier to spot, being about 10 degrees above the WSW horizon 30 minutes after sunset; note that on Jan. 22, Mercury willl pass less than 0.3 degrees south of much dimmer Neptune, although this event will be very difficult to observe due to the bright twilight sky.

Venus - is an early morning object dominating dawn skies; The first week of this month, you will find the most brilliant of planets high in the SE skies at dawn, perched near the two "pinchers" of the scorpion, Scorpius, just above the bright red star Antares; on the morning of Jan 5, look at Antares just above the thin crescent moon, while bright Venus looms above them both....a spectacular sight. But that is not all this planet holds for stargazers this month: on the last day of this month - Jan 31 - set your clocks and get up at dawn to see Venus and Jupiter poised very close together like you have never seen them, only 1.5 degrees apart, with yellowish and slightly dimmer Jupiter below Venus....this event is very low in SE skies and a good horizon will be needed as the pair rises only 40 minutes before sunrise in Scorpius.

Mars - located in Taurus during January. The "red" planet is a month past opposition and is still up for most of the night. Mars will be 75 degrees up in the south by 10:30 pm EST at mid-month. The planet will fade from magnitude -1.5 to -0.6 and have an apparent diameter that decreases from 15 to 12 arc-seconds during the month. Mars is still large enough to see the major surface features in a 4" telescope. The Martian atmosphere is still fairly clear of dust, allowing good views of the surface. Besides the usual dark surface markings, the North Polar Hood should still be visible. Look for the North Polar Cap to emerge soon.

Jupiter - is in Sagittarius, in the morning sky, but too close to the Sun to be seen easily at the beginning of the month. Observing becomes easier as the month goes on. By the end of the month it is approaching Venus in the southeastern morning twilight. Venus passes about a half degree away on the morning of Feb. 1..

For detailed postions of Jupiter's Moons try this interactive javascript utility.

Saturn - located in Leo. The ringed planet rises by 10 pm EST early in the month and by 8 pm at month's end. Saturn reaches the meridian by 3:30 am at mid-month, when it will be 58 degrees above the horizon. Saturn will be magnitude 0.5 during January with an apparent diameter of 19 to 20 arc-seconds. The rings will be 42 arc-seconds across and tilted 7 degrees to our line-of-sight. At least 6 of Saturn's many moons are bright enough to be seen with an 8" scope.

The Cassini spacecraft continues its observation of Saturn and its many moons and rings. For the latest images from Cassini, see:

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm

For detailed postions of Saturn's Moons try this interactive javascript utility.

Uranus - is now very low in southern skies during early evening; this very dim object can be seen in binoculars or better still, small telescope, if one knows exactlly where to look as a very blue-green starlike object of magnitude 5.7.

A finder chart for Uranus can be found Here.

Neptune - magnitude 7.9 and slightly west of Uranus, the distant Neptune is low in southwestern skies during early evening hours.

A finder chart for Neptune can be found Here.

Pluto - rises less than an hour before sunrise and will be difficult to observe this Month.

Eris (pronounced "EE-ris") - formerly known as Xena, 2003 UB313, and "the tenth planet" - is magnitude 19 in central Cetus, high in the south during evening.

For detailed information please visit Astronomical Delights

Comet 17P/Holmes - is high in the sky throughout winter, being circumpolar in the constellation of PERSEUS amid a very rich star field each night. Although the original predictions call for this comet to be an inconspicuous 17th magnitude, be sure to monitor it nightly!

Comet P/8 Tuttle - at magnitude 5 or better, this comet might be naked eye visible in early January, and certainly will be a great target in binoculars, low in the SW skies of dusk until about 10 p.m. nightly