The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — January 2018
Highlights this month
- 2TueMercury at greatest morning elongation (23° from the Sun, mag −0.3) — best morning apparition. (6:49am)
- 3WedUranus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (6:52am)
- 4ThuQuadrantids meteor shower peaks (up to 110/hr). A bright 93% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 7SunMars and Jupiter in conjunction — 0.2° apart. (11:44am)
- 9TueVenus in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (5:26pm)
- 11ThuThe Moon passes Jupiter — 4° apart. (7:22pm)
- 11ThuThe Moon passes Mars — 4° apart. (11:36pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 1 | 6:00am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:42pm | 4:04am |
| Wed 10 | 6:08am | 8:46pm | 14h 38m | 10:39pm | 4:15am |
| Sat 20 | 6:18am | 8:43pm | 14h 24m | 10:31pm | 4:30am |
| Wed 31 | 6:31am | 8:35pm | 14h 04m | 10:18pm | 4:47am |
Days shorten by about 43 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Full Moon SupermoonTue 2, 1:28pm
- Last QuarterTue 9, 9:22am
- New MoonWed 17, 1:17pm
- First QuarterThu 25, 9:30am
Perigee 2 Jan (356,700 km) · Apogee 15 Jan (406,200 km) · Perigee 30 Jan (359,000 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Sgr | −0.4 | 4:41am | 12:05pm | 7:28pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Sgr | −3.8 | 6:18am | 1:36pm | 8:53pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Lib | 1.4 | 2:04am | 9:05am | 4:06pm | Morning |
| Jupiter | Lib | −1.6 | 1:54am | 8:50am | 3:47pm | Morning |
| Saturn | Sgr | 0.4 | 4:36am | 11:55am | 7:14pm | Hidden |
| Uranus | Psc | 5.8 | 1:40pm | 7:13pm | 12:50am | Evening |
| Neptune | Aqr | 7.9 | 10:11am | 4:37pm | 11:04pm | Evening |
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 93% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — January 2018
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.
Looking for an earlier month? Browse all past monthly guides →
Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 15 July 2026.