The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — January 2121
Highlights this month
- 1WedMars is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (9:10pm)
- 2ThuMercury at greatest evening elongation (20° from the Sun, mag −0.6) — best evening apparition. (10:11pm)
- 3FriThe Moon passes Saturn — 4° apart. (4:15am)
- 4SatQuadrantids meteor shower peaks (up to 110/hr). A bright 100% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 5SunThe Moon passes Jupiter — 0.4° apart. (7:34am)
- 9ThuUranus at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Gemini (mag 5.5). (12:46pm)
- 9ThuMercury is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (7:14pm)
- 15WedJupiter at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Gemini (mag −2.5). (7:47am)
- 19SunMercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (4:55am)
- 30ThuThe Moon passes Saturn — 4° apart. (6:47am)
- 30ThuMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (11:42am)
- 31FriVenus is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (12:42pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 | 6:00am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:42pm | 4:04am |
| Fri 10 | 6:08am | 8:46pm | 14h 38m | 10:38pm | 4:15am |
| Mon 20 | 6:18am | 8:42pm | 14h 24m | 10:30pm | 4:30am |
| Fri 31 | 6:31am | 8:35pm | 14h 04m | 10:18pm | 4:47am |
Days shorten by about 43 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Full MoonSat 4, 6:39am
- Last QuarterSun 12, 12:03pm
- New MoonSun 19, 1:50pm
- First QuarterSun 26, 5:10am
Apogee 8 Jan (405,700 km) · Perigee 20 Jan (358,800 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Cap | 3.1 | 7:03am | 2:00pm | 8:58pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Aqr | −4.7 | 9:45am | 4:13pm | 10:40pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Leo | −0.8 | 10:38pm | 3:54am | 9:05am | Morning |
| Jupiter | Gem | −2.5 | 8:36pm | 1:30am | 6:20am | All night |
| Saturn | Tau | −0.5 | 6:47pm | 11:34pm | 4:25am | Evening |
| Uranus | Gem | 5.5 | 8:14pm | 1:04am | 5:50am | All night |
| Neptune | Vir | 7.9 | 1:11am | 7:48am | 2:25pm | 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 100% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — January 2121
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 9 September 2026.