{"id":52993,"date":"2024-01-04T09:54:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T09:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/68667b25-ecc8-4df8-af9f-824e6d841673"},"modified":"2024-01-04T10:32:33","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T10:32:33","slug":"visible-planets-in-january-2024","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/visible-planets-in-january-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Visible planets in January 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Find out which planets you can see in the night sky in January 2024. <\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n <\/p>

Published: Thursday, 04 January 2024 at 09:54 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Jupiter is well placed at the start of January 2024, and is our pick of the planets for the month, although towards the end of the month it will begin to disappear from view.<\/p>

Shining at mag. \u20132.4, the planet will appear a disc full of detail with an apparent diameter of 43 arcseconds at the start of January 2024.<\/p>

Use a small telescope to see its disc, with Jupiter’s iconic banding clearly visible.<\/p>

Chart showing the locations of planets Jupiter and Uranus in January 2024. Click on the chart to zoom in. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
A 100mm or larger scope will show Jupiter’s storm feature known as the Great Red Spot.<\/p>
Also take time to see Jupiter’s Galilean Moons<\/a>, which are easily seen through a small telescope.<\/p>
For more advice, read our guide on how to observe Jupiter through a telescope<\/a>.<\/p>
Below is our summary of planets visible in January 2024.<\/p>
$\"The$
The phase and relative sizes of the planets in January 2024. Each planet is shown\u00a0with south at the top, to show its orientation through a telescope. Click to zoom in. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
**Jupiter<\/strong><\/h2>**
**Best time to see:<\/strong> 1 January, 19:40 UT<\/li>**
**Altitude:<\/strong> 49\u00b0\u00a0<\/li>**
**Location:<\/strong> Aries<\/li>**
**Direction:<\/strong> South<\/li>**
**Features:<\/strong> Complex atmosphere, Galilean moons<\/li>**
**Recommended equipment:<\/strong> 75mm or larger telescope<\/li><\/ul>**
**Mercury\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>**
**Best time to see:<\/strong> 10 January, 40 minutes before sunrise<\/li>**
**Altitude:<\/strong> 6\u00b0 (low)<\/li>**
**Location:<\/strong> Ophiuchus<\/li>**
Direction:<\/strong> Southeast<\/li><\/ul>
Morning planet Mercury shines at mag. +0.6 and rises 100 minutes before the Sun on 1 January<\/strong>. It subsequently brightens, shining at mag. \u20130.2 and rising 90 minutes before sunrise on 17 January<\/strong>, with mag. \u20133.9 Venus 11.1\u00b0 to the west. Mercury and Mars appear close on **27 January<\/strong>.<\/p>**
Rising 52 minutes before the Sun, mag. +1.3 Mars is located 21 arcminutes southeast of mag. \u20130.2 Mercury. On **28 January<\/strong>, Mars appears 0.5\u00b0 west-southwest of Mercury. By month\u2019s end, slowly heading back towards the Sun, Mercury becomes harder to see.\u00a0<\/p>**
Venus\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>
**Best time to see:<\/strong> 1 January, from 06:30 UT<\/li>**
**Altitude:<\/strong> 7\u00b0 (low) \u00a0<\/li>**
**Location:<\/strong> Scorpius<\/li>**
Direction:<\/strong> Southeast<\/li><\/ul>
Venus is a morning object, rising 3 hours before sunrise on 1 January<\/strong> and shining at mag. \u20133.9. On the morning of the 8th, a 12%-lit crescent Moon appear 8.1\u00b0 southwest of Venus and on **9 January<\/strong>, now as a 6%-lit crescent, 9.8\u00b0 southeast of the planet.<\/p>**
On 16 January<\/strong>, mag. \u20133.9 Venus and \u20130.2 Mercury appear 11.1\u00b0 apart. Venus retains its brilliance but its position deteriorates, rising 100 minutes before sunrise on **31 January<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>**
Mars<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>
**Best time to see:<\/strong> 31 January, 30 minutes before sunrise<\/li>**
**Altitude:<\/strong> 2\u00b0 (very low)\u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>**
**Location:<\/strong> Scorpius<\/li>**
Direction:<\/strong> Southeast<\/li><\/ul>
Mars is too dim and close to the Sun to be visible. On **27 January<\/strong>, mag. +1.3 Mars sits 20 arcminutes from mag. \u20130.2 Mercury, a tricky sighting due to low, pre-sunrise altitude.\u00a0<\/p>**
Saturn\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>
**Best time to see:<\/strong> 1 January, 17:40 UT<\/li>**
**Altitude:<\/strong> 21\u00b0 \u00a0<\/li>**
**Location:<\/strong> Aquarius<\/li>**
Direction:<\/strong> South-southwest<\/li><\/ul>
Evening planet Saturn is losing its battle with the twilight. On 1 January<\/strong>, it appears around 20\u00b0 above the southwest horizon as darkness falls. A lovely 14%-lit crescent Moon sits 4.5\u00b0 east of mag. +0.8 Saturn on the evening of **14 January<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>**
Uranus<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>
**Best time to see:<\/strong> 1 January, 20:30 UT<\/li>**
**Altitude:<\/strong> 54\u00b0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>**
**Location:<\/strong> Aries<\/li>**
Direction:<\/strong> South<\/li><\/ul>
An evening object, Uranus is close to mag. +4.3 Botein (Delta (\u03b4) Arietis). At mag. +5.7 it\u2019s theoretically visible to the naked eye, but binoculars are recommended. Its green hue requires a telescope. Just after darkness falls on **19 January<\/strong>, the 67%-lit Moon lies 2.3\u00b0 north of Uranus. The planet reaches 54\u00b0 altitude, due south, in darkness the whole month.<\/p>**
Neptune<\/strong><\/h2>
**Best time to see:<\/strong> 1 January, 18:10 UT<\/li>**
**Altitude:<\/strong> 32\u00b0<\/li>**
**Location:<\/strong> Pisces<\/li>**
Direction:<\/strong> South-southwest<\/li><\/ul>
Evening planet Neptune appears south of the Circlet asterism<\/a> in Pisces. At mag. +7.9 it\u2019s past its best, losing altitude under dark-sky conditions all month. It sits 1.3\u00b0 north of the 24%-lit Moon\u2019s centre on the evening of **15 January<\/strong>, just before moonset.\u00a0<\/p>**
***This guide appeared in the January 2024 issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em><\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n***
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Jupiter<\/strong><\/h2>Best time to see:<\/strong> 1 January, 19:40 UT<\/li>Altitude:<\/strong> 49\u00b0\u00a0<\/li>Location:<\/strong> Aries<\/li>Direction:<\/strong> South<\/li>Features:<\/strong> Complex atmosphere, Galilean moons<\/li>

Mercury\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>Best time to see:<\/strong> 10 January, 40 minutes before sunrise<\/li>Altitude:<\/strong> 6\u00b0 (low)<\/li>Location:<\/strong> Ophiuchus<\/li>