In this guide we'll reveal what you can see in the night sky tonight, and throughout the month.
Those of us who enjoy stargazing and observing the night sky can't always plan when and where we're going to get the chance to gaze upwards.
Busy schedules, light pollution, the weather: sometimes finding even just 30 minutes to stand and stare up at a clear, dark night sky and take in the planets, stars and constellations can be a feat in itself.
So when you do find the time, you'll need to know what's visible in the night sky tonight, and the best things to look out for when stargazing.
Complete newcomer? Read our guides to the best telescopes for beginners and astronomy for beginners.
Here's our stargazing guide to what you can see in the night sky tonight.
Our guide is centred around what's visible from the UK, but all northern hemisphere observers should be able to use it, with the odd adjustment to stated times.
In our guide, we use Universal Time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST). UT is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. BST is one hour ahead of UT
We also use RA (Right ascension)and dec. (declination).
These coordinates are the night sky’s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial ‘globe’.
For help with these, read our guide to celestial coordinates.
For more advice, read our guide on how to stargaze or sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter for weekly tips delivered directly to your email inbox.
If you're south of the equator, find out what you can see in the Southern Hemisphere night sky tonight.
What's in the night sky tonight?
January astronomy highlights
- 3/4 January: Quadrantid meteor shower peak
- 4 January: Evening lunar occultation of Saturn
- 10 January: Venus at greatest eastern elongation (47.2° from the Sun; evening)
- 16 January: Mars reaches opposition
- 18 January: Venus 2.2° north of Saturn (evening)
Planets
At the start of 2025, the planets are well-placed. Brilliant Venus the brightest 'star' this month, a beacon in the evening sky after sunset.
Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation on 10 Jan when it will be separated from the Sun by 47.2°.
Following from the east is bright Jupiter, against the spectacular backdrop of the constellation Taurus, the Bull.
If you can view Jupiter through a telescope, don’t miss the Ganymede shadow transits that occur on the evenings of 13 Jan (18:30-21:00 UT), 20 Jan (Ganymede transit 18:33-20:58 UT, Ganymede shadow transit 22:31-01:00 UT) and 27 Jan (Ganymede transit 22:08-00:34 UT, Ganymede shadow transit 02:31 UT until Jupiter sets around 04:40 UT).
Also, keep an eye out for Callisto, passing close to Jupiter’s polar regions on the early evening of 14 Jan (17:22 UT) and early hours of 23 Jan (02:42 UT).
Saturn’s largest moon Titan, will also be casting its shadow on its host planet on 7 Jan (16:26-21:30 UT) and 23 Jan (15:30-20:58 UT).
Mars is located further east of Jupiter. It currently appears to move in a retrograde (east-west) fashion, from Cancer into Gemini throughout the month, reaching Mars opposition on 16 Jan, when its position has it in line with Castor (Alpha (α) Geminorum) and Pollux (Beta (β) Geminorum), outshining both stars at mag. -1.4.
Mars reaches opposition every 2.1 years, perihelic oppositions placing the planet near to Earth, aphelic ones further away.
This opposition is aphelic, Mars displaying a 14-arcsecond apparent diameter in 2025, some way off the 25 arcseconds it achieves at a perihelic opposition.
Despite this, it will be able to reach over 60° altitude from the UK.
Quadrantids and the Moon
The annual Quadrantid meteor shower reaches its peak on 3 Jan around 16:00 UT.
The Moon won’t interfere; a 15%-lit waxing crescent setting around 20:30 UT and located very close to Venus.
The following evening, the Moon steals the limelight back as it occults Saturn, hiding the planet between 17:18 UT and 18:26 UT (observe from 20 minutes earlier than stated times).
The Moon also makes a very close pass of Mars in the early hours of 14 Jan, the Red Planet just 11-arcminutes from the Moon’s northern limb at 04:25 UT.
Constellations
These events all take place against the beautiful stars and constellations of winter, dominated by Orion, the Hunter.
Visible as soon as darkness falls, Orion is useful as a navigational guide.
Follow belt line southeast (down and left from the UK) and you’ll arrive at the brightest night time star, Sirius (Alpha (α) Canis Majoris) in Canis Major, the Great Dog.
Follow the belt line northwest and you’ll arrive at Aldebaran (Alpha (α) Tauri).
Night sky in January 2025, night-by-night
Thursday 2 January
At 21:45 UT, Ganymede is occulted by Jupiter. Io transits as the occultation concludes, followed 38 minutes later by its shadow. Ganymede reappears at 23:52 UT and is eclipsed soon after by Jupiter’s shadow at 00:19–02:50 UT on 3 January.
Friday 3 January
As evening twilight darkens, look for the beautiful sight of mag. –4.3 Venus just under 2° north-northwest of a 16%-lit waxing crescent Moon.
Quadrantid meteor shower peaks, with no real Moon interference.
Saturday 4 January
Although it may not feel like it, Earth is at perihelion today, the point in its orbit when it’s closest to the Sun.
Saturn is occulted by a 25%-lit waxing crescent Moon between 17:18 and 18:26 UT (see page 46).
Monday 6 January
The Lunar X and Lunar V clair-obscur effects are both visible on tonight’s Moon, best viewed around 18:21 UT.
Tuesday 7 January
Titan’s shadow transits Saturn’s globe today, starting at 16:24 UT just after sunset and concluding at 21:32 UT.
The Eyes of Clavius lunar clair-obscur effect is visible at around midnight tonight.
Thursday 9 January
In the run-up to midnight, the 81%-lit Moon can be seen approaching the Pleiades open cluster. The Moon will continue to pass across some of the brighter cluster stars in the early hours of 10 January.
Friday 10 January
Magnificently bright planet Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation today, separated from the Sun by 47.2°. Dichotomy (50% phase) occurs on 12 January, after which Venus appears as a crescent through the eyepiece.
Monday 13 January
There’s another opportunity to see a Ganymede shadow transit today. Ganymede itself transits Jupiter from 15:01 until 17:26 UT, its shadow following suit between 18:29 and 21:00 UT.
Tuesday 14 January
In the early hours, bright mag. –1.4 Mars sits about 10 arcminutes north of the full Moon’s northern limb.
Moon Callisto sits 3 arcseconds from Jupiter’s northern pole at 17:20 UT.
Thursday 16 January
Mag. –1.4 planet Mars reaches opposition today.
Saturday 18 January
Brilliant Venus sits just 2.2° to the north of dimmer Saturn this evening.
Monday 20 January
Ganymede puts on a display this evening, transiting the planet Jupiter between 18:32 and 20:58 UT. Its shadow follows later, transiting Jupiter’s disc between 22:30 and 01:20 UT.
Thursday 23 January
Moon Callisto sits 3 arcseconds from Jupiter’s southern pole this morning around 02:50 UT.
Titan casts its shadow on Saturn between 15:28 and 21:00 UT.
Saturday 25 January
Lunar libration currently favours the Moon’s western limb, giving the large Mare Orientale basin complex a slightly more favourable appearance.
Monday 27 January
Ganymede puts on another transit event, crossing Jupiter between 22:07 and 00:34 UT. Its shadow follows, transiting from 02:31 until 05:04 UT. Jupiter will set at 04:36 UT, before the event concludes.
Tuesday 28 January
With the Moon now out of the way, this is a great time to look at the spectacular Sword of Orion region which contains the wonderful Orion Nebula, M42. The region is at its highest from around 21:15 UT.
Friday 31 January
Starting at 13:22 UT, there’s a challenging daylight partial occultation of Titan by Saturn’s northern limb.
While partially occulted, Titan enters Saturn’s shadow at 14:33 UT, reappearing at 19:43 UT while at low altitude.
Share your observations and images with us, or send us your astronomy questions to contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
