{"id":27633,"date":"2021-12-14T11:43:25","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T11:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=43760"},"modified":"2021-12-14T11:56:10","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T11:56:10","slug":"how-to-see-the-planets-in-the-night-sky-january-2022","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-to-see-the-planets-in-the-night-sky-january-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"How to see the planets in the night sky, January 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Pete Lawrence\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 14 December 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Venus is in its crescent phase in January 2022. You might be fortunate enough to catch the planet in the evening sky right at the month\u2019s start, but it\u2019s heading for inferior conjunction on 9 January<\/strong> so you don\u2019t have long.<\/p>\n

On 1 January<\/strong>, a telescope will show Venus as a slender 2%-lit crescent, a remarkable sight if you have clear skies.<\/p>\n

For monthly observing advice, sign up to the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter<\/a> or listen to our Star Diary podcast<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u00de Venus will appear as a 2%-lit crescent on 1 Jan, and will increase to 14%-lit on the 31 Jan. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Being thin and low in altitude, this crescent <\/span>is susceptible to the unstable atmosphere we have to look through for objects close to the horizon, so plan to catch it as early as you can after sunset.<\/p>\n

As ever, be safe when hunting for Venus and make sure the <\/span>Sun is below the horizon before looking for it.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re more experienced, it is possible to locate Venus during the day when the Sun is up, but as it\u2019s getting close to the Sun now, this is not recommended unless you know what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

Following inferior conjunction on 9 January<\/strong>, Venus rapidly re-emerges into the morning sky, greatly assisted by the planet being north of the ecliptic<\/a> plane \u2013 the plane of Earth\u2019s orbit around the Sun, which also marks out the apparent path of the Sun against the background stars.<\/p>\n

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As a thin crescent, Venus is an incredible sight through a telescope. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

On 14 January<\/strong>, a telescope will reveal Venus as a 1%-lit crescent, 1 arcminute across. This is at the limit of resolution for the human eye.<\/p>\n

On this date the planet rises an hour before the Sun.<\/p>\n

By the time the end of the month has arrived, the phase of Venus will have increased to 14%-lit, its apparent diameter having shrunk to 49 arcseconds.<\/p>\n

Observing Venus will have <\/span>become a little easier too, the planet now rising 135 minutes before the Sun.<\/p>\n

How to see the planets, January 2022<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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The phase and relative sizes of the planets in January 2022. Each planet is shown with south at the top, to show its orientation through a telescope. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Venus<\/strong><\/h3>\n