January 19, 2024: After sunset, use a binocular to spot planet Uranus near the January Moon. Bright Jupiter is part of the scene.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:14 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:49 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24
Moon in Southeast Near Jupiter
This evening, try to locate the planet Uranus with the gibbous moon as a guide. The eastward moving moon was half-full or at First Quarter phase two nights ago. This evening, it is gibbous, 70% illuminated.
Under the darkest conditions, without moonlight, Uranus is visible without a binocular’s optical assist, but this evening the help is needed.
This month’s bright moon is known as the Wolf Moon. The Full moon phase occurs on the 25th during the daytime (11:54 a.m. CST) in the western hemisphere when the lunar orb is below the horizon.
Tonight, step outside about an hour after nightfall. The lunar orb, 60% illuminated, is high in the southeast. The bright star to its lower right is Jupiter.
Binocular View
Dimmer Uranus is about one-fourth of the way from the moon to the Jovian Giant. Look for it with a binocular.
Hold the binocular so that the moon is to the lower left of the field of view. It appears near the stars Delta (δ Ari on the chart), Zeta (ζ), Tau (τ) and 63 in Aries. Uranus, dimmer than the four identified stars is to the lower right side of the field of view.
The moon’s glare will likely leave an after image in your vision, like the spots after a camera flash. To minimize this effect, identify the starfield near the moon, then move the binocular slightly to the lower right so that the moon is no longer in the field of view.
Uranus is aquamarine in color. A telescope with sufficient magnification is needed to see the planet’s globe.
During the night, from Earth’s rotation, Jupiter and the moon appear farther westward. Jupiter sets after midnight and about six hours before sunrise. Moonset occurs nearly two hours after Jupiter leaves the sky in the west-northwest.
Look for planet Uranus near the moon after sunset this evening.
RECENT PODCASTS
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, April 8 -11: Morning Moon and Sagittarius Before Sunrise
A waning gibbous moon moves in front of Sagittarius before sunrise from April 8–11l. See the changing positions each morning. - 2026, April 7: Moon Near Antares Before Sunrise, Venus and Jupiter After Sunset
2026, April 7: A 75% illuminated moon appears near Antares before sunrise. After sunset, Venus and Jupiter shine brightly, with Venus moving toward a conjunction in the evening sky. - 2026, April 6: Moon Near Antares: Spot Messier 4 and Scorpius Before Sunrise
April 6, 2026: The 83% illuminated moon appears near Antares before sunrise. Use a binocular to locate Pi Scorpii, Al Niyat, and the globular cluster Messier 4 low in the south-southwest sky. - 2026, April 5: Early Spring Evening Stars – 10 Bright Stars Visible Tonight
See 10 of the 15 brightest stars during early spring evenings. Find Sirius, Arcturus, Jupiter, and more using this simple sky guide after twilight ends. - 2026, April 4-7: Moon Moves Past Scorpius Before Sunrise
April 4-7, 2026: Track the bright gibbous moon as it moves eastward in front of Scorpius before sunrise. See its changing position near Antares and the Scorpion’s claws from April 4–7.