2026, January 3: Jupiter and the Full Wolf Moon Dominate the Night Sky

January 3, 2026: Jupiter and the Full Wolf Moon shine together during an all-night display, with Saturn visible after sunset.

Jupiter, Saturn, Moon, November 19, 2020
2020, November 19: The crescent moon is 5,4° to the lower left of Saturn, while Jupiter is 3.3° to the lower right of the Ringed Wonder.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

 Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:18 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:32 p.m. CST.  Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.

Before Sunrise

Jupiter, Moon, January 3, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, January 3: An hour before sunrise, Jupiter, Moon, and the Gemini Twins are low in the west-northwest.

Jupiter and the moon dominate the sky during their nearly all-night westward journey, while Saturn is visible after sunset.

Before sunrise, bright Jupiter and the Full (Wolf) moon are low in the west-northwest. The moon is opposite the sun and reaches the Full phase at 4:30 a.m. Central Time. This marks the first bright Full moon of the season.

An hour before sunrise, Jupiter stands nearly 20° above the west-northwest horizon and 7.9° to the lunar orb’s upper left. The planet is 6.9° to Pollux’s lower left, one of the Gemini Twins.

Compare the moon’s position this morning with its location after sunset. Notice that the moon sets far toward the northwest — well north along the horizon from the sun’s summer solstice setting point. The lunar orb is near its most northerly orbital extreme, an event that recurs every 18.6 years.

After Sunset

Saturn, January 3, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, January 3: An hour after sunset, Saturn is nearly 45° above the south-southwest horizon.

After sundown, Saturn is in the south-southwest, nearly halfway from the horizon to overhead. While noticeably dimmer than Jupiter, it matches the brightness of Fomalhaut — the mouth of the Southern Fish — about 30° to Saturn’s lower right.

Jupiter, Moon, January 3, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, January 3: Three hours after sunset, the bright moon is nearly between Jupiter and Pollux in the east-northeast.

Farther eastward, Jupiter, the moon, and Gemini rise into the east-northeast sky. Wait until they climb higher above horizon obstructions. Three hours after sunset, the trio stands nearly 30° above the horizon, with the moon nearly between Jupiter and Pollux.

Binocular view - Jupiter, Moon, and Pollux, January 3, 2026
Chart Caption – 2026, January 3: A binocular view of Jupiter, Moon, and Gemini’s Pollux.

The three objects fit tightly into the same binocular field of view.

During Jupiter’s apparition, the moon passes near Jupiter and Pollux during each lunation.

As the night progresses, Saturn sets before midnight, while Jupiter and the moon remain visible nearly all night. By tomorrow morning, they again appear low in the west-northwest.

Look for Jupiter and Pollux as the moon moves between them during the early evening hours. Find Saturn shortly after sunset.

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