The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — January 1972
Highlights this month
- 2SunMercury at greatest morning elongation (23° from the Sun, mag −0.3) — best morning apparition. (1:09am)
- 4TueQuadrantids meteor shower peaks (up to 110/hr). A bright 87% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 22SatThe Moon passes Mars — 5° apart. (6:34pm)
- 23SunUranus is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (7:51pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 | 5:59am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:42pm | 4:03am |
| Sun 10 | 6:07am | 8:46pm | 14h 39m | 10:39pm | 4:14am |
| Wed 20 | 6:18am | 8:43pm | 14h 26m | 10:32pm | 4:28am |
| Sun 31 | 6:30am | 8:36pm | 14h 06m | 10:19pm | 4:46am |
Days shorten by about 42 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Full MoonSat 1, 7:22am
- Last QuarterSun 9, 12:33am
- New MoonSun 16, 9:52pm
- First QuarterSun 23, 8:30pm
- Full MoonSun 30, 10:01pm
Apogee 9 Jan (404,800 km) · Perigee 22 Jan (369,700 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Sgr | −0.4 | 4:42am | 12:05pm | 7:29pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Aqr | −3.8 | 9:01am | 3:49pm | 10:36pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Psc | 0.6 | 12:44pm | 6:31pm | 12:19am | Evening |
| Jupiter | Oph | −1.6 | 4:05am | 11:26am | 6:46pm | Hidden |
| Saturn | Tau | −0.2 | 4:34pm | 9:36pm | 2:43am | Evening |
| Uranus | Vir | 5.5 | 12:32am | 6:55am | 1:17pm | Morning |
| Neptune | Sco | 8.0 | 2:50am | 9:57am | 5:04pm | Morning |
Meteor showers
- Quadrantids — peaks 4 January, radiant in Boötes (up to 110/hr). Radiant stays below the horizon from Victoria — essentially a no-show this far south. A bright 87% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — January 1972
Evening sky Morning sky Up much of the night Lost in the Sun’s glare
Open the full interactive orrery ↗ — fast-forward, pick any date, toggle the Moon and more.
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Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 24 August 2026.