What’s Up in the Night Sky? January 2022

Fred Barrett | Jan 12, 2022

The crisp clear nights of January and February are perfect for exploring the constellation Orion. Binoculars are very suitable for this adventure. You can find the easily recognizable hour glass figure of Orion the Hunter in the south in the early evening. No need to stay up late for the challenge of exploring the deep space objects that can be discovered in its interior and close by in its area.

I suggest focusing on the Orion nebula in its interior first, in order to get your bearings. To find the nebula, look at the midpoint of Orion’s hourglass shape. You will see a diagonal line of 3 stars called Orion’s belt. From the leftmost star in the belt (Alnitak), a line of stars runs downwards. This we describe as Orion’s sword. Down near the tip of the sword is the Orion nebula. If you look just above it, you will see the Running Man nebula. Circling outwards will reward you with other sights. Sourcing a star chart off the net will be a great help guiding you through the territory and providing a name for what you find. I would be surprised if your binoculars weren’t pulled towards other fascinating shapes in the sky. Have a look at the Double Cluster at the tip of the constellation Perseus sitting straight up at the zenith in the early evening. Get out there in the fresh air with your binoculars and take advantage of winter’s early darkness and look for adventures in the sky!

If you’re quick, you might be able to catch the last of the Quadrantid meteor shower that lasts until mid month. Watch for them when you’re out exploring around Orion. The shower’s radiant rises later in the evening near midnight in the east but streaks may appear anywhere in the sky before then.

Early in the month Venus is in the evening sky in the west after sunset. January 8th marks its inferior conjunction but after that brief passage across the Sun, it will appear in the east about an hour before sunrise. It will be very bright and gets better as the month progresses. Through a telescope, it will show itself as a slender crescent. Mercury is very visible in the east and is close to Saturn on the 12th and 13th in the southwest as evening falls. Its inferior conjunction is on the 23rd and by the 17th; it becomes much harder to spot. Saturn and Jupiter especially, are very visible after sunset. Sadly we bid farewell to Saturn soon after Mercury as they both are lost in the evening twilight. Mars rises in the southeast about 5 am early in the month and it’s in a in an area of the sky spectacular for its deep sky objects. It brightens as the month moves on. A waning crescent Moon is just south of Mars an hour before sunrise on the 29th. Venus is partnered with them about 10 degrees to the northeast. Uranus is high in the southeast after sunset and swings south as the evening progresses. Neptune is bright enough to find in binoculars half way up from the horizon in the southwest.

We have a winner for December’s contest. A shiny new copy of the book “The Elements” goes out to Carol Cain. She and her family observe in the clear dark sky south of Westport. A new contest is on for next month. The prize is the same but I only have one book left so don’t miss it!

This month’s highlights:

January 11: The Moon is just south of Uranus about 6 am EST.

January 14: The Moon is at apogee – 403,448 Kms.

January 17: Full Moon. This is the Full Wolf Moon. I’ve had the occasional wolf from Algonquin Park pass through my property in years past. It’s rare now and I miss them.

January 25: Last quarter Moon.

January 29: The Moon is 10 degrees south of Venus at 9 pm EST.

January 30: The Moon is at perigee – 360,149 Kms.

Stay safe and keep looking up! Don’t forget to bundle up!

Useful books, star charts and related items for beginners and through to advanced amateurs can be ordered from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada at www.rasc.ca/publications. A subscription to our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine “SkyNews” can be arranged at the RASC website as well.

Let me know what you’re finding in the sky, especially anything unusual. I enjoy the emails and the feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can contact me through this paper or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Clear Skies! Fred