Man Stargazing

Moon Phases

Eye on the Night Sky, January 4, 2026

Sunday, January 04, 2026

Today:
With the Moon just one day past Full, can you make out the “Man in the Moon” – created by the darker regions of the Moon? Another common figure is a rabbit or hare, with two long ears at the top, a body curved down the left side, and feet near the bottom.

Monday:
As the last of the twilight fades at around 5:30 PM, Saturn will emerge about halfway up in the south-southwest, appearing somewhat as a lone traveler, with no bright objects nearby, and outside the boundaries of three nearby constellations: Pisces, above, Aquarius, below, and Cetus, the Whale, featured to its left.

Tuesday:
When watching the waning Gibbous Moon climb into the skies before 9 o’clock, you’ll see that the brightest star in Leo, the Lion, Regulus, leads the way, above the Moon, and a bit right. Leo is just entering into its best early evening viewing, which will last through the winter and into the spring, before the late sunsets of the early summer push its viewabiltiy into the late evening or overnight hours.

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