December 27, 2025: As Jupiter approaches opposition, it shines nearly all night near Gemini. Saturn and the First Quarter moon add to an evening sky rich with planetary detail.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:17 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:27 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Jupiter Near Oppositon
With New Year’s revelers stepping outside at unusual hours, bright Jupiter shines in the southern sky near midnight. As the planet approaches opposition — when Earth is between the Jovian Giant and the sun — on January 10th, it is in the sky nearly all night.
Rising about 75 minutes after sundown, the planet appears higher in the eastern sky during the pre-midnight hours. It is high in the south after midnight. During the early hours of the new calendar day, find Jupiter in the western sky, about 30° up during morning twilight.
Jupiter Retrogrades
As opposition nears, Jupiter retrogrades in front of Gemini, 6.6° from Pollux, one of the Twins. It passes the second brother, Castor, in a wide conjunction on January 5th.
During the nighttime hours, Jupiter, Gemini, and the surrounding starfield appear to move westward. The constellation is easily recognized. Castor and Pollux mark the Twins’ faces, while the remaining stars resemble two side-by-side stick figures with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
Saturn and First Quarter Moon
After sundown tonight, the half-full moon (First Quarter) is high in the southern sky, nearly 15° to Saturn’s upper left. Each evening, the phase grows and the lunar orb opens a wider gap with the Ringed Wonder.
Saturn is about halfway up in the south, a favorable position for telescopic inspection. The planet is considerably dimmer than Jupiter and dimmer than its average brightness. Through the eyepiece, the rings are viewed edge-on, like looking at the side of a dinner plate.
Tonight, the moon sets after local midnight, disappearing about 90 minutes after Saturn drops below the western horizon.
Look for bright Jupiter during the nighttime hours. Saturn and the moon are best observed shortly after sunset.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, January 6: Venus at Superior Conjunction Marks Shift to Evening Sky
January 6, 2026: Venus reaches superior conjunction today on the sun’s far side, ending its morning apparition and beginning its slow return to the western evening sky. - 2026, January 5: Jupiter Passes Castor as Opposition Nears
January 5, 2026: Bright Jupiter passes Castor in Gemini as it nears opposition. See where to find the planet each evening and how its retrograde motion becomes easy to observe. - 2026, January 5-8: Waning Gibbous Moon Passes Leo before Sunrise
January 5-8, 2026: Watch the waning gibbous moon pass Leo during early January mornings. Use a binocular to trace the Lion’s shape and locate Regulus and Denebola before sunrise. - 2026, January 4: Wolf Moon Near Jupiter, Bright Planets Dominate the January Night Sky
January 4, 2026: Bright Jupiter and the Wolf Moon dominate January nights as Jupiter nears opposition. See when and where to look, with precise angular separations and observing tips. - 2026, January 3: Daylight Increases After Perihelion as Earth Reaches Closest Point to the Sun
January 3, 2026: Earth reaches perihelion as daylight slowly increases across the mid-northern latitudes. Learn how Earth’s orbit, astronomical units, and eccentricity affect seasons and sunlight.