By Alexander Merz · Updated on · Details checked on 24 October 2026
The night sky in January 2027 has three highlights: the Quadrantids in the night of 3/4 January, the only supermoon of the year on 22 January, and Jupiter and Mars in Leo, both heading for their oppositions in February.
Got a telescope for Christmas? Further down you will find the first targets and the accessories that are really missing.
More in our overview: Astronomical Events.
The key facts in brief
- Night of 3/4 January: Quadrantids maximum at around 04:25 CET – the IMO expects a ZHR of 80 in 2027, and the moon does not rise until 05:56. All the details in the Quadrantids guide
- 3 January: perihelion – Earth is closer to the sun than at any other time of the year, about 147.1 million km
- 22 January, 13:17 CET: full moon, the “Wolf Moon” – the only supermoon of 2027
- 23 January, around 23:00: the moon stands less than two degrees from Jupiter – the closest encounter of the month
- Jupiter and Mars in Leo: both rise in the evening, grow brighter week by week and reach opposition in February
- Venus is a brilliant morning star in the south-east and reaches its greatest angular distance from the sun on 3 January
- Winter sky: Orion stands highest at around 22:00 in mid-January, joined by Sirius, the Pleiades and the Winter Hexagon
Sky events in January 2027: the calendar
All times are Central European Time (CET), calculated for the middle of Germany (51.2° N / 10.5° E). For places further west, risings and settings shift up to 20 minutes later, further east correspondingly earlier.
| Date | Event | What you get out of it |
|---|---|---|
| 3 January, 03:33 | Earth at perihelion | The point of Earth’s orbit closest to the sun, about 147.1 million km – in the middle of winter |
| 3 January | Venus at greatest western elongation | 47° from the sun – in the telescope Venus shows roughly half a disc |
| Night of 3/4 January | Quadrantids maximum | Peak at around 04:25, when the radiant already stands about 45° high; the moon does not rise until 05:56 |
| 4 January, around 07:15 | Thin crescent moon near Venus | About 12° apart low in the south-east, with reddish Antares right next to the crescent – a quiet photo subject before dawn |
| 7 January, 21:24 | New moon | The darkest nights of the month, ideal for the Orion Nebula |
| 14 January, evening | Moon near Saturn | Around 18:00 about 6° apart, both roughly 40° high in the south |
| 15 January, 21:34 | First quarter | Half moon in the evening sky – the best time for craters in the telescope |
| 18 January, evening | Moon near the Pleiades | Around 21:00 about 6.5° apart – the bright moon does outshine the star cluster, though |
| 22 January, 13:17 | Full moon, the “Wolf Moon” | The only supermoon of the year; on the evenings of the 21st and 22nd it is almost full in the sky |
| 23 January, around 23:00 | Moon near Jupiter | Only 1.8° apart, both about 40° high in the south-east – striking even without any equipment |
| 24 January, around 22:00 | Moon near Mars | About 6° apart in the east – reddish Mars is already brighter than every star around it |
| 28 January, around 06:00 | Moon near Spica | About 3.5° apart, a good 20° high in the south |
| 29 January, 11:55 | Last quarter | The evenings become free of moonlight again |
| End of January | Mercury appears in the evening sky | On 31 January it stands about 8° high in the south-west at the end of civil twilight (17:42) |
When does it actually get dark in January?
January has almost as long nights as December. In mid-January the sun sets in central Germany at around 16:40, and from about 18:40 it is completely dark – astronomical twilight is over by then.
The darkness lasts until around 06:15, so about eleven and a half hours in one go. By the end of the month the window shrinks by a good half hour: on 31 January it is not fully dark until 19:00.
For beginners that is a gift: if you go out at 19:00, you have a full night sky – Orion, the Pleiades and Saturn are already well placed, and Jupiter follows shortly after.
The Quadrantids on 3/4 January: short but intense
The Quadrantids open the meteor year. They are active from 28 December to 12 January, but almost all of their splendour is packed into a few hours: in 2027 the maximum falls at around 04:25 CET in the night of 3/4 January.
Under ideally dark skies up to about 110 meteors per hour are possible (ZHR); the IMO forecast for 2027 is 80. In reality you will see fewer – double-digit numbers per hour make a good night.
This time the timing works: the radiant in Boötes (the Herdsman) is barely 20° high at midnight, but already about 45° at 04:00. The moon, a thin waning crescent, does not rise until 05:56 – so it does not disturb the decisive hours.
What you need for it: no telescope.
Shooting stars are a job for the naked eye – any instrument shrinks your field of view exactly when you want to see as much sky as possible. What matters is a dark spot, looking north-east to east and clothing for several hours of frost. Where it is dark enough is explained on the page about light pollution and the Bortle scale.
The parent body is the asteroid 2003 EH1, probably the remnant of an extinct comet. All the showers of the year are in the meteor shower calendar.
On 3 January Earth is closest to the sun
On 3 January 2027 at around 03:33 CET, Earth passes its perihelion, the point of its orbit closest to the sun. The distance is then about 147.1 million km – around five million kilometres less than in early July.
That it is still winter is down to the tilt of Earth’s axis, not the distance: the sun stands low above the horizon at noon, and its light is spread over a larger area. The perihelion is only noticeable indirectly – Earth is moving fastest now, which is why winter in the northern hemisphere is a few days shorter than summer.
The moon phases in January 2027
| Date | Moon phase | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 7 January, 21:24 | New moon | Darkest nights – from 2 to 12 January the moon barely disturbs the evenings |
| 15 January, 21:34 | First quarter | Half moon in the evening – the terminator shows craters at their most three-dimensional |
| 22 January, 13:17 | Full moon, the “Wolf Moon” | ⭐ Date of the monthThe only supermoon of 2027, about 357,600 km away. On the evenings of the 21st and 22nd it stands almost full above the eastern horizon. |
| 29 January, 11:55 | Last quarter | From 26 January the moon does not rise until after 22:30 – the evenings belong to deep sky again |
All the dates: Full moon in January · Full moon calendar
The planets in January 2027
Jupiter becomes the object of the month. It stands in Leo, just a few degrees from Regulus, and rises at around 20:15 on 1 January and as early as 18:00 on the 31st. At −2.4 to −2.6 mag and 43 to 45 arcseconds across, it shows cloud belts and the dance of its four large moons in the telescope.
Mars follows about 15° to the east, also in Leo. Over the month it brightens from −0.2 to −0.9 mag and grows from 10 to 13 arcseconds. That is still small in the telescope – Mars only shows surface detail around opposition, and even then only in steady air.
Venus shines at −4.6 to −4.3 mag as the morning star and rises between about 04:20 and 05:10. On 3 January it reaches its greatest western distance from the sun at 47°; in the telescope it is then about half lit.
Saturn stands in the south to south-west at nightfall (about 38° high at 18:30 on 15 January) and sets at around 00:20 on 1 January, as early as 22:30 on the 31st. Its rings are currently open by only about 7° and look like a thin line – the last good telescope weeks of the season.
Uranus culminates in the evening almost 60° high in Taurus; at 5.6 mag it is a clear dot in binoculars. Neptune sets between 23:40 and 21:50 over the course of the month. Mercury only appears low in the evening twilight in the last days of January.
Countdown to the oppositions in February
January is the run-up to the best planet month in years: Jupiter reaches opposition on 11 February, Mars on 19 February – both in Leo, both visible all night. Mars comes closest to Earth on 20 February at about 101 million km.
Practise in January – finding Jupiter, focusing, choosing the right magnification – and you will be ready in February. From mid-January both are already more than 20° high at 23:00, and after midnight they culminate about 50° high in the south. Everything else is in The night sky in February 2027.
What is above your roof tonight is shown in the daily overview Planets visible tonight.
The constellations in January: Orion, Taurus and the Winter Hexagon
In January Orion is at its best evening time: on 1 January it culminates at around 23:10, on the 31st as early as about 21:10 in the south. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, rises at around 18:50 in mid-January.
Together with Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Pollux and Procyon, Sirius spans the Winter Hexagon. Add Taurus with the Pleiades, Auriga high near the zenith and Gemini in the east.
This year there is something special: in Leo, which climbs in the east in the evening, Jupiter and Mars stand as two extra bright lights. If you are looking for Leo, the quickest way to find it in 2027 is via Jupiter.
The dates that are actually worth it are often months apart – and easily forgotten. So you do not miss one:
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Deep sky in January: the winter sky in top form
- Orion Nebula (M42): the star-forming region below Orion’s belt culminates in mid-January at around 22:15, a good 30° high. A misty patch in binoculars, in a telescope from about 100 mm aperture with the four Trapezium stars at its centre.
- Pleiades (M45) and Hyades in Taurus: in mid-January the Pleiades stand more than 60° high at 20:00. They are too large for a telescope – binoculars show them best.
- Beehive Cluster (M44) in Cancer: in mid-January the open star cluster stands almost 50° high in the south-east at 23:00, west of Jupiter.
- h and χ Persei: the Double Cluster stands close to the zenith in the evening – two star clusters in the same binocular field.
- Andromeda Galaxy (M31): still high in the west in the early evening, after that it sinks towards the horizon.
Important for planning: the deep-sky evenings of the month are from 2 to 12 January and again from 26 January. Around the full moon on the 22nd faint nebulae do not stand a chance. An overview of rewarding targets is under Deep sky.
The first accessories for your new telescope
In January there are freshly unpacked telescopes in many living rooms – and after the first evenings the same questions always come up. For the start the supplied accessories are enough; what makes sense after that depends on what bothered you on the first evening.
The honest rule is: buy accessories to solve problems, not to stock up. The table matches the four most common January problems to the cheapest solution for each.
| The problem | The solution | Why in January of all months | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The moon is dazzling | Apertura 1.25" Moon FilterOmegon Premium Moon Filter 1.25″ | ⭐ First purchaseAround the supermoon on 22 January the moon is glaring. The filter screws into the eyepiece and brings craters and mountains out of the glare. | $14.95€ 19.90 |
| You cannot find anything in the sky | Orion Star Target PlanisphereOculum Swivelling Sky Map 29 cm | Shows for every time of night where Orion, Leo and Taurus are – with no battery that gives up in the frost and no display that dazzles your eyes. | $7.95€ 19.90 |
| Jupiter is too small | Celestron Omni Series 1.25" 2x Barlow LensOmegon 2x Barlow, achromatic, 1.25" | Doubles the magnification of every eyepiece – two eyepieces become four steps. In good time before the oppositions in February. | $41.95€ 34.90 |
| Constant eyepiece swapping | Celestron 8-24 mm 40-60° 1.25" Zoom EyepieceOmegon Magnum Zoom Eyepiece 8–24 mm | A zoom eyepiece covers 8 to 24 mm. In the cold and with gloves on, turning is easier than swapping. | $107.95€ 49.90 |
The first purchase after the telescope: Omegon Premium Moon Filter 1.25″
Dims the harsh moonlight, is easy on the eyes and brings out far more contrast and detail – our best-selling filter and the number-one pick to start with.
Price: € 19.90
Why the moon filter comes first: the moon is the target every beginner telescope shows impressively straight away – and at the same time the one that dazzles most. Anyone who gives up with watering eyes after the first moon evening does not need a better telescope, but this filter.
Before any purchase it is worth looking at the limit of useful magnification: it is twice the aperture in millimetres. A telescope with 650 mm focal length gives 65× with a 10 mm eyepiece and 130× with the 2× Barlow – just right for Jupiter, and with 130 mm aperture still far below the limit of 260×.
More magnification for Jupiter and Mars: Omegon 2x Barlow, achromatic, 1.25"
The budget entry: doubles the magnification of every 1.25" eyepiece. Fine for the Moon and planets on small telescopes.
Price: € 34.90
What the Barlow lens cannot do: in turbulent air no magnification helps – Jupiter just gets bigger and mushier. The best time is when it stands high – in January after midnight.
Which eyepieces suit which telescope is explained in the eyepiece guide; the basics of the Barlow are under Barlow lenses. All other accessories, with a check of 1.25″ and 2″ fittings, are in the telescope accessories overview.
No telescope of your own yet?
You can see the Quadrantids without any equipment at all. Jupiter and Mars, on the other hand, show exactly what a telescope is for – which instrument is enough for that is in the buying guide for planetary telescopes, the broad entry point in the telescopes for beginners.
Best choice for beginners: Omegon Telescope AC 70/700 AZ-2
The no-pitfall starter refractor: Moon, Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons from the very first night. No collimation.
Price: € 129
For more experienced observers: Skywatcher Dobson Telescope N 200/1200 Skyliner Classic
200 mm of aperture — the most sky for your money. Set it on the ground, point by hand: nebulae, clusters and galaxies for years to come.
Price: € 479
The first nights with your new telescope: targets in January
In mid-January the best beginner targets appear in a convenient order – from early evening until shortly before midnight. The times apply to 15 January; at the start of the month they shift about one hour later, at the end of the month earlier.
| When | Target | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| from 18:30 | Saturn, about 38° high in the south-south-west | The ring is narrow, but unmistakable even in a small telescope – plus the bright moon Titan |
| from 19:00 | The moon (around first quarter) | Around 15 January the terminator shows craters and mountains in relief – even more comfortable with a moon filter |
| from 20:00 | Pleiades, more than 60° high | Too large for the telescope, perfect for the finder scope or binoculars |
| from 22:00 | Jupiter, about 25° high in the east | Two dark cloud belts and up to four moons that rearrange themselves from evening to evening |
| from 22:00 | Orion Nebula in the south | Highest at around 22:15 – most impressive in the moonless nights from 2 to 12 January |
| from 23:00 | Mars, about 23° high in the east | Still a small orange disc – a foretaste of the opposition in February |
A piece of advice worth more than any accessory: put the telescope outside half an hour before observing. With a 20-degree difference between living room and January night, the air in the tube shimmers so much that even a good instrument looks blurred.
And when you bring it back in: do not open the tube and eyepiece cases straight away, let them warm up closed. Otherwise the cold optics fog up with condensation.
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Frequently asked questions about the January sky
When are the Quadrantids in 2027?
The maximum falls in the night of 3/4 January 2027, at around 04:25 CET. The IMO expects a ZHR of 80; in reality, double-digit numbers per hour make a good night. The moon does not rise until 05:56 and barely interferes. All the details: Quadrantids.
Which planets can you see in January 2027?
In the evening Saturn in the south-west, Uranus high in Taurus and Neptune until before midnight. From late evening Jupiter and Mars rise in Leo and stay visible until morning. Venus is a bright morning star in the south-east, and Mercury appears low in the evening twilight at the end of January.
When is the full moon in January 2027?
On 22 January 2027 at 13:17 CET. The “Wolf Moon” is also the only supermoon of the year; on the evenings of the 21st and 22nd it stands almost full above the eastern horizon.
When is new moon in January 2027?
On 7 January 2027 at 21:24 CET. From 2 to 12 January the moon barely disturbs the evenings – the best time for the Orion Nebula and other faint targets.
When is Jupiter’s opposition in 2027?
On 11 February 2027, and Mars follows with its opposition on 19 February. Both planets are in Leo and can already be observed well from late evening in January.
Which accessory do I need first for my new telescope?
Usually a moon filter, because the moon is the brightest and most rewarding target. After that a planisphere for orientation and a 2× Barlow lens for more magnification on Jupiter and Mars. More in the telescope accessories overview.
When does it get dark enough to observe in January?
In mid-January the sun sets at around 16:40, and it is completely dark from about 18:40. The darkness lasts until around 06:15 – about eleven and a half hours in one go.
➡️ What comes next: The night sky in February 2027 – with the double opposition of Jupiter and Mars.
⬅️ The month before: The night sky in December 2026 – with the Geminids and the Christmas full moon.