Celestial Showcase: NASA’s Guide to Spotting Four Dazzling Planets This Month

January brings forth several celestial delights for us to enjoy, with one specifically extending throughout the entire month. At least four of the planets will shine vividly in our winter evening sky, forming what can be described as a “Planet Parade” that should not be missed.

Though not exceptionally uncommon, the appearance of multiple bright planets simultaneously does not occur every year, as per NASA.

If you plan to scan the sky after sunset, the space organization indicates you can easily spot Venus and Saturn towards the southwest During clear evenings. Jupiter will be positioned high above. Mars will be found in the east. For those equipped with telescopes, Uranus and Neptune will also be observable.

So why is this noteworthy?

“Planets always appear along a line in the sky, so the ‘alignment’ isn’t particularly unique,” NASA’s recent blog stated. “What makes it less frequent is observing four or five bright planets simultaneously, which doesn’t occur every year. Is it a ‘planet parade’? This term isn’t technical in astronomy, so you can refer to it as you like!”

“While it’s accurate that they will show up more or less in a line across the sky, that’s the usual behavior of planets. This line is referred to as the ecliptic, indicating the plane of the solar system where the planets revolve around the Sun. Incidentally, this is also why we sometimes observe planets appearing to come closer to one another in the sky, as we see them along a line while they race around the cosmic circuit.”

There are a few more exciting sky occurrences this month. On Monday, Jan. 13, we will witness the Full Wolf Moon. It will move in front of Mars, which promises to be a fascinating sight.

Additionally, the first meteor shower of the year, the Quadrantids, remains visible for another week or so. As the moon approaches its full phase, the meteors will become less prominent due to the brightness of the moon.