Buckle up, star travelers this month is an exciting one, with major astrological events ahead. Check out some of our highlights coming up this month below:
• Jan 3: Earth at perihelion
The Earth is closest to the Sun, at its perihelion, about two weeks after the December Solstice. Interestingly, there is no connection between these two events. – How crazy?
• JAN 10: Jupiter at opposition
This is when Jupiter is at opposition, sitting directly opposite the Sun in our sky. In other words, shines more brighter. Overall, this month is a great month to observe the planet, since Jupiter will be visible all night!
• JAN 23: Moon-Neptune-Saturn close approach
During this evening these three celestial bodies will do something truly magical. Our Moon, Neptune, and Saturn all will align in the evening sky!
Omega Centauri
Omega Centauri is basically the Milky Way’s overachiever. It’s the biggest, brightest ball of ancient stars around — so big you can spot it as a fuzzy glow in the southern sky. It’s weird too: Different generations of stars, maybe even a confirmed black hole in the middle, as well as a backstory that screams,
“I Used To Be A Whole Galaxy Before The Milky Way Ate Me.”
Wishing Well
The Wishing Well Cluster is a chill little star hangout about 1,300 light-years away in Carina. It’s got around 150 stars — some old, some burned-out, a few showing off as red giants — and a bunch of nicknames like Pincushion and Football because astronomers couldn’t agree. In 1990, Hubble picked it as its very first photo subject! Or space version of,
“First Selfie Ever.”
ACRUX
Acrux is the brightest star in the Southern Cross and absolutely knows it. From Earth, it looks like a single blue – white sparkle, but in reality it’s two stars bundled together, orbiting each other about 320 light-years away. It’s so bright it ranks among the top stars in the entire night sky, making it the Southern Hemisphere’s version of a celebrity or,
“Main Character Energy.”
