The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — January 2168
Highlights this month
- 1FriJupiter at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Gemini (mag −2.6). (4:59pm)
- 4MonQuadrantids meteor shower peaks (up to 110/hr). A 30% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
- 4MonMercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (1:47pm)
- 15FriMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (7:26am)
- 23SatThe Moon passes Jupiter — 4° apart. (3:40am)
- 24SunSaturn in superior conjunction with the Sun — lost in the glare. (5:58pm)
- 26TueThe Moon passes Mars — 2° apart. (5:54am)
- 26TueMercury at greatest morning elongation (24° from the Sun, mag −0.2) — best morning apparition. (2:20pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 | 5:59am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:41pm | 4:03am |
| Sun 10 | 6:07am | 8:46pm | 14h 39m | 10:38pm | 4:14am |
| Wed 20 | 6:18am | 8:42pm | 14h 25m | 10:31pm | 4:29am |
| Sun 31 | 6:30am | 8:35pm | 14h 05m | 10:18pm | 4:47am |
Days shorten by about 42 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Last QuarterSat 2, 3:11pm
- New MoonSun 10, 8:10pm
- First QuarterMon 18, 1:08pm
- Full MoonMon 25, 4:24am
Apogee 7 Jan (406,000 km) · Perigee 23 Jan (360,700 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Sgr | 0.3 | 4:53am | 12:03pm | 7:13pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Sgr | −3.7 | 4:21am | 11:42am | 7:03pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Leo | −0.9 | 10:23pm | 3:32am | 8:35am | Morning |
| Jupiter | Gem | −2.5 | 7:34pm | 12:23am | 5:06am | Evening |
| Saturn | Cap | 0.5 | 6:55am | 2:03pm | 9:12pm | Hidden |
| Uranus | Cap | 5.9 | 8:10am | 3:04pm | 9:59pm | Hidden |
| Neptune | Cap | 7.9 | 7:46am | 2:44pm | 9:41pm | Hidden |
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 30% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
The solar system — January 2168
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 6 October 2026.