The Planets
Planet Data For January
Click on any planet below to go straight to its section.
The table below shows key data for the planets this month, including rise, transit and set times, as well as magnitude, apparent size and position data (right ascension and declination).
Events that occur when the sun is below the horizon are shown with a black background and white text. All other events happen when the sun is in the sky and other for not visible for observation.
January 2025 reveals good viewing for all of the planets, which will be the last time I can write that for a while. Mercury has fabulous morning views at the beginning of the month but we lose sight of it about halfway through. All the other planets can easily be observed in the evening.
All of the images below can be opened full screen in a new tab by clicking on them
Mercury
05th January
We’re still basking in the glow of December’s spectacular Mercury seeing. This view at 6:30 am shows Mercury 8° over the SE horizon.
15th January
The party quickly comes to a close as Mercury heads for a pass behind the sun. At the same time this morning it barely rises over the horizon.
25th January
At 6:45 am, Mercury just breaks the horizon but the sun will rise in 20 minutes so the viewing is very poor.
We had a great month of Mercury viewing in December, and that hangs over into the new year for the first week of January. After that, the views fade rapidly as Mercury heads around the back of the sun, reaching superior conjunction on Feb 9th.
If you observe it early in the new year, you’ll find a small, sub-six arcsecond disc, that is almost fully illuminated.
Although February won’t offer us much, we’re in for more stunning views, this time in the evening, when Mercury pulls far away from our star in early March.
Venus
05th January
Venus is high and easy to observe in the evening. This 7pm view shows it high in the southwest, in a line with Saturn and the moon.
15th January
Ten days later at the same time, we see Venus passing close by Saturn. See ‘Events’ for more details of this conjunction.
25th January
Still at the same time of 7pm, Venus is over 30° high in the west, while Saturn is heading for the horizon.
The Venusian disc grows significantly this month, from 22 arcseconds to almost 32. Unsurprisingly, its brightness also intensifies to a staggering magnitude -4.6 which is coming close to the brightest it can be.
However, a glimpse through your telescope reveals that the proportion of its disc that’s illuminated is shrinking as it heads for inferior conjunction, i.e. when it passes in front of the sun, towards the end of March.
If you happen to see Venus on New Year’s Day, you’ll observe that its dics is just over half illuminated. By the end of January, this has shrunk to 38%. The change next month is more dramatic, as it fades to a sliver just 15° illuminated.
Mars
05th January
With only four days to go until its closest approach, Mars looks stunning high in the east at 10 pm.
15th January
Now 55° high at the same time, Mars shines at magnitude -1.4 and has a 15 arcsecond disc.
25th January
Close by Pollux in Gemini, one of the ‘twin’ stars, puts mars near the zenith at 10pm this evening.
When the Martian opposition happens, it’s the best Martian observation window we get for two years. And that’s what we’ve got happening this month.
On the 9th January, Mars will be closer to us, and so larger in the night sky, than it has been since December 2022! Back then, its statistics were very similar and we should enjoy the same detailed vies of its surface that we had back then.
Use the Mars guide inside the VAC to make the most of your viewing since it quickly fades and it’ll be 2027 before we get these views again.
Jupiter
05th January
At 8pm, Jupiter is two-thirds of the way towards the zenith inside the horns of Taurus, near Aldebaran.
15th January
At the same time ten days later, Jupiter’s strayed outside the embrace of the horns for the first time in a month or so.
25th January
Jupiter is practically overhead at 8pm at the end of January and bright enough to be unmistakable.
This month delivers spectacular evening viewing for Jupiter, riding higher and higher towards the zenith as the month progresses.
We have passed opposition though, so we’re seeing the planet steadily shrink, but only from 45 to 42 arcseconds, and the resulting change in its brightness of 0.1 arcseconds is imperceptible.
When you point your telescope in its direction, you won’t be disappointed with the views we can enjoy.
Saturn
05th January
It’s a month of dramatic change for Saturn as it sinks from our skies. Right now, we can see it 34° high in the SW at 7:30 in the evening.
15th January
As we saw earlier, Saturn passes close by Venus this evening, but it’s now only 26° high at the same time.
25th January
Ten days later, and now it’s only 20° high as it heads for the part of its journey that goes behind the sun.
It’s the last decent month for viewing Saturn for a while. It heads behind the sun at the beginning of March and we see it steaming towards its destination over the course of January.
On New Year’s Day at 7:30 in the evening, it’s 37° high, by the 31st, it’s only 15° over the horizon. By the end of February, it’ll have left the evening sky and won’t return until the second half of the year.
Uranus & Neptune
15th January – Uranus
At 10pm, Uranus is high in the west, with the Pleiades looking on.
15th January – Neptune
Neptune needs to be viewed earlier in the evening – this image is 8 pm – because it sets around 10. Find it in Pisces.
The two most distant worlds of our solar system are both visible early in the evening this month. Uranus is riding high in the late evening, while Neptune needs to be hunted down earlier on before it sets at a little after 8 pm.
All Planets Viewer
Use the table below to see when each of the planets is observable for each day this month. Click on it for full screen.
A planet is classed as observable when it is more than 10° above the horizon and the sky is dark enough for it to be observed.
Planet ephemeris tables produced with the kind permission of Dominic Ford. Sky images are courtesy of SkySafari Pro 6.