Man Stargazing

Moon Phases

Eye on the Night Sky, January 2, 2026

Friday, January 02, 2026

Today:
The eastern skies in early January never lack for bright stars, every year hosting Orion in the east, and the Twins of Gemini to the left in the northeast. Adding to these celestial beacons are the nearly-Full Moon, to the stars of Gemini and Orion, while Jupiter rises early in the evening, to the Twins lower right.

Saturday:
A Full “Wolf” Moon slide right between Jupiter to its right, and the lower of the Twins stars of Gemini, Pollux, to the Moon’s left. The pairing of Jupiter and the Full Moon also reflects their position relative to the Earth and the Sun. The Full Moon is always opposite from the Sun in our skies, which means Jupiter is currently opposite as well. To be very precise, Jupiter reaches its “opposition” next Friday night, giving us our best views of Jupiter for 2026.

Start Chart:

Early risers on September 19th are rewarded with one of this year’s best displays of the Moon and Venus, with the added bonus of the star Regulus right next to them.

January Start Chart

This program is a partnership between the Fairbanks Museum and Vermont Public