The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — January 2042
Highlights this month
- 1WedVenus in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (10:33pm)
- 3FriMercury at greatest evening elongation (19° from the Sun, mag −0.6) — best evening apparition. (8:52am)
- 4SatQuadrantids meteor shower peaks (up to 110/hr). A bright 95% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 10FriThe Moon passes Mars — 0.7° apart. (1:45am)
- 10FriMercury is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (4:04am)
- 15WedThe Moon passes Saturn — 3° apart. (8:38pm)
- 16ThuNeptune is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (2:41am)
- 17FriThe Moon passes Jupiter — 3° apart. (1:32pm)
- 19SunMercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (1:26pm)
- 30ThuMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (9:51pm)
- 30ThuUranus at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Cancer (mag 5.4). (10:35pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 | 6:00am | 8:46pm | 14h 46m | 10:42pm | 4:04am |
| Fri 10 | 6:08am | 8:46pm | 14h 38m | 10:39pm | 4:15am |
| Mon 20 | 6:19am | 8:42pm | 14h 24m | 10:31pm | 4:30am |
| Fri 31 | 6:31am | 8:35pm | 14h 04m | 10:18pm | 4:48am |
Days shorten by about 43 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Full MoonMon 6, 7:54pm
- Last QuarterTue 14, 10:23pm
- New MoonWed 22, 7:48am
- First QuarterTue 28, 11:49pm
Apogee 12 Jan (405,100 km) · Perigee 24 Jan (362,900 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Cap | 2.9 | 7:06am | 2:03pm | 9:00pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Sgr | −3.8 | 6:27am | 1:44pm | 8:59pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Leo | −0.9 | 10:29pm | 3:40am | 8:47am | Morning |
| Jupiter | Lib | −1.6 | 2:17am | 9:20am | 4:23pm | Morning |
| Saturn | Vir | 0.5 | 1:22am | 7:59am | 2:37pm | Morning |
| Uranus | Cnc | 5.4 | 9:32pm | 2:39am | 7:42am | All night |
| Neptune | Ari | 7.8 | 2:30pm | 7:54pm | 1:23am | 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 95% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — January 2042
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.