Mon Jan 19, 2026 NEW MOON, NO MOON
Today the moon is new. Long ago, when folks talked about the new moon, they meant that very slender crescent that could be seen low near the western horizon at sunset. When it was sighted, the month began, and a complete cycle of moon phases took about 29 and a half days - one month, or as they used to say, one moonth. But watching for this new moon was an imprecise way to mark time. People in different places might see it at different times. So astronomers redefined the new moon as being the time when it was most directly between the earth and the sun. But at this point in its orbit, the moon is out of sight, its face in shadow. So now, 'though the new moon phase is much more precise, it’s the one time of the month when you can’t see the moon at all. Unless there’s an eclipse of course!
Tue Jan 20, 2026 SUNRISE, SUNSET, AND SEASONS
We speak of the sunrise in the east and sunset in the west, but there are only two times during the year when this occurs – at the beginning of spring and at the beginning of autumn. After the spring equinox, the sun rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west, and after the autumnal equinox, the sun rises to the south of east and sets to the south of west. In the summer, the sun’s path across the sky is long and high, the daylight period is longer than the night, and the weather turns warm. But now we are a month into the winter season and the sun’s path is very low, even at noon. The daylight period is short, the night is long. Less direct sunlight and a shorter amount of sunlit hours lead to a drop in air temperatures as the weather turns cold.
Wed Jan 21, 2026 NAME THAT CONSTELLATION - JANUARY
Can you identify the 10th largest constellation? It is bordered on the north by Delphinus, Equuleus, Pegasus and Pisces; on the south by Capricornus, Piscis Austrinus and Pictor; on the west by Cetus and Pisces again; and on the east by Aquila and Capricornus again. Within its borders are the globular star clusters M2 and M72, plus the Helix Nebula. This mythological figure sometimes represents Ganymede, the cup bearer of the gods. There are no bright stars in it, but a few stars near the top of the constellation look like a letter Y, and it represents a jug of water. Tonight the waxing crescent moon is within its borders. Can you name this star figure, the eleventh constellation of the zodiac? The answer is Aquarius, the Water Carrier, visible in the southwestern sky after sunset.
Thu Jan 22, 2026 MOON AND SATURN
Yesterday the moon appeared in its new crescent phase among the stars of the constellation Aquarius (and suddenly I feel like singing that 5th Dimension song from the 1960’s, “Age of Aquarius!” Tonight the moon has moved over a little to the east, and can be found just below the head of the western fish in another zodiacal constellation, Pisces. Tonight is also a good night to look for the planet Saturn, because the moon, acting like a kind of cosmic bookmark, is just to the west of Saturn – the two are in conjunction. Binoculars aimed at the moon can show you its rough features of craters and lava basins. But in order to see Saturn’s rings, you’ll need a telescope that can give you at least fifty power of magnification.
Fri Jan 23, 2026 ASTRONOMY DAY
The Treasure Coast Astronomical Society will host Astronomy Day at Indian River State College tomorrow, January 24th - from 3 pm until 9 pm, at the Planetarium and Science Center. There will be meteorite displays, telescope clinics, safe, filtered guided views of the sun, weather permitting, plus kids’ activities like cosmic cornhole – and much more. There will also be mini-planetarium shows, plus a talk about planetariums and space exploration at 4 and 5 pm. And when it gets dark that evening, we hope to provide telescopic views of the moon, as well as some planets and stars. This astronomy day event is free, no tickets are necessary. Just dress warm, bring a lounge chair for viewing the sky and come on out to the Hallstrom Planetarium and Indian River State College Science Center at 30th Street and Virginia Avenue on the Fort Pierce campus.