The cold dark nights of winter offer an excellent opportunity to view the skies. Conditions are usually very good after a storm has passed and the air is clean and clear.

Venus and Jupiter are the two bright planets visible soon after sunset – but they look exactly like bright stars to the naked eye. Venus, however, drops lower in the evening sky and takes on a more crescent shape – just like the crescent moon – as it continues to orbit the sun.

A good pair of binoculars will show this crescent shape in the western twilight, but make sure you do not look at the sun by mistake!

Venus will soon disappear in the sun’s glare as it heads into what is known as inferior conjunction on January 11. Around a week later, as it continues its orbit, it will start being visible in the east before sunrise.

Jupiter will be at its closest to the earth tonight, so it is nearly overhead at midnight, shining at its brightest over the coming days in the constellation Gemini. Binoculars will show its four largest moons, and a telescope will show details on the planet’s atmosphere.

Fine details of Jupiter are shown on this month’s image (above) shot by Winston Grech from his observatory in Fgura. The bright red spot in the lower part of the photo is known as the Great Red Spot and is a huge hurricane, around three times the size of the earth. It is thought to be over 300 years old!

Mars, as well as Saturn, the ringed planet, are also visible towards the south before sunrise.

Mars is in Virgo while Saturn is located in the constellation Libra. They will start to get higher and brighter as they make their closest approaches to the earth in April and May. Post your images of the night sky on the Astronomical Society’s Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/groups/maltastro

Alexei Pace is president of the Astronomical Society of Malta.

Astronomical events this month