2026 January Astronomy Highlights

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Your guide to the night sky this month,
and a guide for binoculars, and telescope deaf owners,
compiled by Derek Rowley
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2026 January

(Click the blue link below for more information)
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All the times are shown in Universal Times (UT),
applicable for Milton Keynes.

Thursday 1st

• Happy New Year & Feedback, please

Thursday 1st

• The Moon at Perigee.

Thursday 1st thru Friday 2nd

• Jupiter’s moon Callisto will be eclipsed by Jupiter’s shadow.

Saturday 3rd thru Sunday 4th

• The Quadrantid meteor shower – Start tonight.

Saturday 3rd

• Full Moon
  (Moon After Yule)

Saturday 3rd

• Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter.

Sunday 4th

• Algol reaches minimum brightness at 05:43 / 5.43am.

Sunday 4th & Monday 5th

• The Moon will pass close to Messier 44 (The Beehive Cluster).

Tuesday 6th

• Venus at superior solar conjunction.

Wednesday 7th

• Algol reaches minimum brightness at 02:32 / 2.32am.

Friday 9th

• Mars at solar conjunction.

Friday 9th

• Algol reaches minimum brightness at 23:21 / 11.21pm.

Saturday 10th

• Jupiter at opposition

Saturday 10th

• Last Quarter Moon

Saturday 11th

• Moon near Spica in the constellation Virgo.

Monday 12th

• Moon near Zubenelgenubi in the constellation Libra.

Tuesday 13th

• The Moon at apogee.

Wednesday 14th

• Moon and Antares in the constellation Scorpius.

Wednesday 21st

• Mercury at superior solar conjunction.

Wednesday 21st

• Algol reaches minimum brightness at 20:10 / 8.10pm.

Thursday 22nd & Friday 23rd

• Moon passes close to Saturn.

Friday 23rd

• Pluto is in conjunction with the Sun.

Monday 26th

• First Quarter Moon

Date

• Moon passes in front of M45 (Seven Sisters) in the constellation Taurus.

Tuesday 27th

• Algol reaches minimum brightness at 04:14 / 4.14am.

Friday 30th

• Algol reaches minimum brightness at 01:03 / 1.03am.

Date

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