Sky Report

January, 2026

This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the period between January 1 and January 31, 2026. Here are the events happening in the sky of southern California.

Mercury, Venus, and Mars are close to the sun and are not safe to observe. Do not observe any planet when it comes close to the sun, for the danger to the eyes is great.

Jupiter is in the constellation Gemini the Twins. On the 1^st, Jupiter rises in the east-northeast at 5:32 p.m., PST, with a disk that is 47 arcseconds wide. On the 31^st, Jupiter sets in the west-northwest at 5:35 a.m., PST. A telescope capable of magnification 50x will show the Red Spot, and the four bright Galilean moons can be seen moving back and forth, across and behind Jupiter.

Saturn is in the constellation Pisces the Fishes. On the 1^st, Saturn sets in the west at 10:49 p.m., PST. On the 31^st, Saturn sets in the west at 9:02 p.m., PST. The disk of Saturn is 17 arcseconds wide. The rings and Saturn’s largest moon Titan may be seen with a telescope capable of magnification 50x.

Uranus is in the constellation Taurus the Bull. On the 1^st, Uranus sets in the west-northwest at 3:50 a.m., PST. On the 31^st, the planet sets in the west-northwest at 1:50 a.m., PST. On the 15^th, Uranus is at Right Ascension 3^h 41^m 39^s with a declination of +19° 26ʹ 34ʺ. The disk of Uranus is 3.7 arcseconds wide, and so a telescope with a magnification of 150x is needed.

Neptune is in the constellation Pisces the Fishes. On the 1^st, Neptune sets in the west at 11:05 p.m., PST. On the 31^st, Neptune sets in the west at 9:10 p.m., PST. On the 15^th, Neptune is at Right Ascension 0^h 1^m 8^s with a declination of -1° 19ʹ 14ʺ. The disk of Neptune is only 2.3 arcseconds wide, and so a telescope with a magnification of 150x is needed to show the disk.

Full Moon is on the 3^rd, last quarter on the 10^th, new moon on the 18^th, and first quarter on the 25^th.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on the night of the 3^rd and through to the morning of the 4^th. The peak usually lasts only six hours. Rates may approach 25 meteors per hour, but the full moon will interfere with observation. These meteors usually lack persistent trains but can produce bright fireballs. They appear to radiate from the constellation Boötes the Herdsman.

Griffith Observatory normally provides free public sky observing day and night–weath­er permitting–through a variety of telescopes. Currently, the Observatory is open Tuesday through Sunday. To plan a visit to the Observatory, please see our website (www. griffithobs.org) for the latest information. The Sky Report, also available on the website, pro­vides monthly observing information.

Follow All Space Considered and Griffith Observatory on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.

January 1st to the 2nd shows the Moon waxing which means more of its surface is illuminated. The Full Moon on the 3rd ends this cycle. Starting from the 4th on, the Moon is waning. The First Quarter is on the 25th, and the Last Quarter is on the 10th. January 18th marks the New Moon.

Archived Sky Reports