January 2026 Calendar

At any moment of the day, countless awe-inspiring celestial events are unfolding in the sky. With a universe of options, it can be hard to pin down what to observe. The purpose of this calendar is to provide a peek into what’s happening in the sky and in the world of astronomy in general and provide a quick list of highlights that can jump start your own explorations.

January 4 - Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peaks

The peak of the annual Quadrantid Meteor Shower is expected to occur in the early hours of January 4 – right on the heels of the first Full Moon of 2026. The radiant point for this annual event is near the Big Dipper asterism in the location of the now-obsolete constellation Quadrans Muralis. Although the shower can produce as many as 100 meteor per hour during its peak, the Moon’s interference will make it challenging to see a Quadrantid streak by this year. But if you can find a dark patch of sky away from artificial light pollution, you might get lucky enough to start your 2026 stargazing with a meteor sighting.

January 8 – Comet 24P/Schaumasse at Perihelion

Comet hunters will want to turn their telescopes to the skies around January 8 when Comet 24P/Schaumasse reaches its maximum brightness and makes its perihelion passage. Discovered on December 1, 1911, by French astronomer Alexandre Schaumasse, this icy visitor is a mid-sized Jupiter-family comet with an orbital period of 8.2 years. Currently, it is cutting a path through the Virgo constellation and will be best seen in the wee hours for observers in both hemispheres.

Astrophotographer James Hubbard captured this image of Jupiter and the four Galilean moons with the aid of an Explore Scientific PMC-Eight GoTo Mount.

January 10 – Jupiter at Opposition

Jupiter will be in a prime viewing situation within the Gemini constellation as it reaches opposition on January 10. During opposition, the gas giant will be positioned directly opposite of the Sun when viewed from Earth, which means it will rise in the east shortly after sunset and stay up all night – providing for ample viewing time. To the naked eye, it will appear as a steady point of light, but a closer look with a smaller telescope should reveal the four Galilean Moons and even some of the turbulent bands that define the face of Jupiter.

January 14 – Moon and Antares Meet Up

The waning crescent Moon and the red supergiant Antares will be making a close pass in the early morning hours of January 14. Even though they do not really share celestial real estate, it will seem like they do as they move closer together in the southeast sky until they are visually separated by mere degrees. Antares, which means “Rival of Mars” in Greek, is often mistaken for Mars due to its similar reddish hue. Generally identified as the 16th brightest star in the sky, Antares is an irregular variable with a red-orange glow that makes it truly pop. Closer observations with a moderate telescope could reveal its blue companion star, which can be highly challenging to discern.

January 23 – Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn

The Moon will cozy up to the ringed-beauty Saturn on January 23 in the Pisces constellation. During the meet-up, the Moon and Saturn will not be close enough to observe together in a telescope‘s field of view, but their pairing will easily be seen by the naked eye or through a pair of binoculars.

Astrophotographer John Bellisario captured this image of the Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42, with the aid of an Explore Scientific ED80 Triplet Refractor.

Constellation Spotlight: Orion

Whether you’re observing on a blustery winter night in the northern hemisphere or a balmy summer evening in the southern hemisphere, the Orion constellation is a perfect target for leisurely stargazing at this time of year. Known as The Hunter, the night sky icon is one of the most recognizable and easiest to find due in large part to the three stars - Mintaka, Alnilam and Anita - that make up the well-known asterism, or star pattern, that is Orion’s Belt. Beyond the belt, the next notable component of the constellation is an expansive rectangle of four bright stars. These include two of the brightest in the sky - the blue super giant Rigel and the red super giant Betelgeuse.

The constellation is also home to the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex – a vast region of star formation filled with notable nebula. One of the most famous is the stunning Orion Nebula, which is in the sword that branches off Orion’s Belt.  Also known as Messier 42, this diffuse nebula is about 1,500 light years away and is bright enough to be visible to the unaided eye – although it will appear as a fuzzy patch. But a telescope turned in M42’s direction can resolve that fuzzy patch into wispy filaments and billowing clouds of dust and gas and even reveal the four stars that comprise the Trapezium Cluster. Other popular imaging targets in the Orion Complex include the dark nebula known as the Horsehead Nebula and the nearby Flame Nebula – an emission nebula, as well as the reflection nebula Messier 78.

Astrophotographer Marty Hendrix captured this image of the reflection nebula Messier 78 with the aid of an Explore Scientific FCD100 Series ED80 Triplet Refractor.

In keeping with the mythology behind the constellation’s namesake, other nearby constellations include Canis Major and Canis Minor, representing Orion’s loyal hunting dogs, and Taurus and Lepus, which are seen to represent the bull and the rabbit that are Orion’s prey. Although Orion can be easily enjoyed with the unaided eye, a pair of binoculars or a small telescope can reveal awe-inspiring details of the many objects that call the constellation home. 

WANT TO NAVIGATE THE NIGHT SKY WITH EASE? 

The Tirion Double-Sided Multi-Latitude Planisphere is a comprehensive sky map for northern hemisphere stargazers located between the equator and latitude 60° north that makes it easy to identify what constellations and major celestial objects are up in your night sky based on the date and time.

This night sky guide, which features maps crafted by noted celestial cartographer Wil Tirion, uses a double-sided design to minimize the distortion that is inherent to any polar-centered projection. This design choice means observers can see truer representations of the constellations located outside the equator (noted by a green line) by simply flipping the planisphere over.

In addition to showcasing constellations, this planisphere indicates the location of notable variable stars, open clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Other features include a line representing the ecliptic, a faint blue band for the Milky Way and a magnitude scale that indicates the brightness of the stars that are shown.  

This astronomy planisphere is made of durable plastic that easily wipes clean, and the rotating components are secured with sturdy brass rivets for smooth manipulation. Guidance for using your sky map is printed on the device for quick reference.