The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — January 2108
Highlights this month
- 1SunMercury at greatest evening elongation (20° from the Sun, mag −0.6) — best evening apparition. (12:46am)
- 4WedQuadrantids meteor shower peaks (up to 110/hr). A bright 66% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 5ThuThe Moon passes Mars — 3° apart. (3:57pm)
- 7SatNeptune is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (1:15pm)
- 8SunMercury is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (1:00am)
- 11WedSaturn in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (11:47pm)
- 17TueMercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (10:43am)
- 17TueThe Moon passes Venus — 4° apart. (12:18pm)
- 25WedThe Moon passes Jupiter — 4° apart. (12:25am)
- 28SatMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (3:39pm)
- 29SunUranus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (7:45am)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1 | 5:59am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:42pm | 4:03am |
| Tue 10 | 6:07am | 8:46pm | 14h 39m | 10:39pm | 4:14am |
| Fri 20 | 6:17am | 8:43pm | 14h 25m | 10:31pm | 4:28am |
| Tue 31 | 6:30am | 8:35pm | 14h 06m | 10:19pm | 4:46am |
Days shorten by about 42 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Last QuarterFri 6, 3:57am
- New MoonFri 13, 3:09pm
- First QuarterSat 21, 8:28pm
- Full MoonSat 28, 10:57pm
Perigee 2 Jan (364,200 km) · Apogee 18 Jan (405,700 km) · Perigee 30 Jan (359,400 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Sgr | 4.9 | 6:45am | 1:44pm | 8:44pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Aqr | −4.0 | 9:42am | 4:19pm | 10:55pm | Evening |
| Mars | Vir | 0.4 | 12:21am | 6:29am | 12:37pm | Morning |
| Jupiter | Tau | −2.4 | 5:35pm | 10:24pm | 3:18am | Evening |
| Saturn | Sgr | 0.4 | 6:00am | 1:15pm | 8:30pm | Hidden |
| Uranus | Ari | 5.7 | 3:51pm | 8:56pm | 2:04am | Evening |
| Neptune | Vir | 7.9 | 12:02am | 6:06am | 12:10pm | 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 66% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — January 2108
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 5 September 2026.