2021, January 6-10: Moon Approaches Morning Star Venus

January 6-10, 2021:  Each morning the moon moves through the starfield, displays its waning phases to approach Morning Star Venus.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

During the mornings of January 6-10, the moon appears farther eastward as it moves toward Venus that is low in the southeast.

Venus is slowly sliding into the sun’s glare.  Look for it very low in the southeast before sunrise.

Read about Venus during January.

The moon appears farther eastward each morning as it approaches Venus for a picturesque pose on the morning of January 11.

Here’s what to look for each morning:

• January 6: The moon displays its Last Quarter phase at 3:37 a.m. CST.  Forty-five minutes before sunrise, the moon is about halfway up in the south-southwest, 8.4° to the upper right of the star Spica
• January 7: The moon, 37% illuminated, is 38.0° up in the south, 9.8° to the upper left of Spica.  During brighter twilight, Venus is about 6° up in the southeast.
• January 8: The moon, 26% illuminated and over one-third of the way up in the south-southeast, is 2.3° to the upper left of the star Zubenelgenubi.
• January 9: The crescent moon is over 20° in altitude above the southeast horizon.  It is 2.2° to the upper right of the star Graffias.
• January 10: The crescent moon the moon is 7.0° to the left of the star Antares. Find Venus over 5° in altitude in the southeast.

Read more about the planets during January.