Derekscope

• 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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• Click the blue link below for more information;

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Astronomy Highlights for January 2026

( BSLis available to make this event accessible.)

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Quadrantids Meteor Shower starts tonight

• That date marks the beginning of its activity window, which runs from Sunday 28th December 2025 to Monday 12th January 2026, with a sharp peak on Saturday 3rd thru Sunday 4th January 2026.
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• Meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Boötes, near the Big Dipper.
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• The radiant rises late in the evening for UK observers.
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• The Moon reaches its First Quarter phase at 18:13 pm, with 50% illumination in the constellation Pisces (The Fishes).
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• High in the southern sky during early evening – ideal for public viewing and photography.
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• With the Moon still crescent, its glow won’t overwhelm Saturn, so you should be able to spot the planet clearly with the naked eye all night.
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• Saturn will appear as a steady golden “star” just below the Moon.
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• Binoculars will enhance the view, but even without them, the pairing will be obvious.
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• At 8 pm, look to the southwest to see the Moon alongside Saturn.
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Whatever the skies bring,
may your heart be open to wonder.

Merry Christmas
from Derek

Titan transits Saturn all night

• Saturn is visible from the UK with a telescope.
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• The transit begins around sunset and continues into twilight, offering a rare and poetic view of Saturn’s largest moon crossing the planet’s disk.
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Algol
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• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) reaches its minimum brightness at 18:27pm in the early evening on Tuesday 23rd December and will be visible from the UK.
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• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
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• The Ursid meteor shower will peak on the night of Sunday 21st thru Monday 22nd December 2025, with the best viewing hours from late evening through dawn.
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• Look northward – Meteors can appear anywhere, but they radiate from near the Little Dipper in the constellation Ursa Minor.
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• The 2025 winter solstice occurs on Sunday 21st December at 15:02 GMT (3:02 PM) in the UK ~ this marks the official start of astronomical winter and the shortest day of the year.
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• The winter solstice happens when the Sun reaches its lowest point in the sky at noon, resulting in the shortest daylight period of the year.
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Algol Minima
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• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) reaches its minimum brightness at 21:38 pm in the evening on Saturday 20th December and will be visible from the UK.
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• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
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