January and February Skies

January 4: It’s the year’s closest approach to the Sun, also known as the perihelion. This is the point in Earth’s orbit when it’s closest to the Sun, though it’s still about 91.4 million miles away! The Quadrantids are the first major meteor shower of the year, peaking the night of Saturday the 4th but you will need dark skies for this one.
January 10: The Moon forms a stunning conjunction with Jupiter.
January 13: The Moon will meet up with and then eclipse Mars. This rare event will happen halfway up in the eastern sky in most locations. The occultation is visible throughout the mainland U.S. and nearly all of Canada, beginning between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. local time, depending on the location. Mars will reappear in the sky about an hour later.
January 15: The red planet Mars comes into opposition tonight! This means that Earth will pass between it and the Sun.
February 1: Venus and the Moon On the 1st, Venus will be very near the waxing crescent Moon. The planet is just 2.3 degrees to the Moon’s right. Start looking at sunset.
February 5 to 6: The Moon Occults the Pleiades The Quarter Moon will blot out the stars of Pleiades (M45). This will occur around 11:15 PM Pacific Time.
February 16: Venus at its brightest for 2025 This month. Venus will reach magnitude -4.6 on February 16. Look west during the twilight hours.
Constellations:
Look high in the south for Orion, the Hunter. Above Orion stands Taurus, the Bull.
Off to the left is the five-sided figure of Auriga, the Charioteer.
Swinging downward, we find Gemini, the Twins.
Continuing counterclockwise around the sky, we reach Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog and then on to Canis Major, the Greater Dog.
There are several open clusters for your viewing pleasure. They are M36, M37 and M38 in Auriga. M37 is the most compact of the three. The next cluster is M44 known as the Praesepe or Beehive Cluster. Visible to the naked eye. Another one not to miss is M35 in Gemini. A large cluster containing several bright members. Look for the much smaller nearby cluster NGC2158. Don't forget the Pleiades (M45), which is among the most famous of star clusters and the Hyades in Taurus. I will cover nebulas next month.
Clear and Dark skies, Dave Holland