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By Deane Morrison

The new year comes bearing gifts of bright planets and the annual splendid display of winter stars.

The year opens with Venus blazing in the southwest for a couple of hours after sunset. In the first three days of January, a young crescent moon climbs out of the sunset and passes Venus. But while Venus gains altitude throughout the month, Saturn—which starts out to the upper left of Venus—plummets. The planets pass each other between the 15th and the 18th.

In the east, all the bright winter stars and constellations will be up by 8 p.m., and earlier every evening. Sirius, the brightest of stars, shines from Canis Major, the big dog. It is also the lowest bright star in the assembly. Try comparing it to Venus, the brightest planet, when the two objects are facing each other from opposite horizons.

Earth laps Mars in the orbital race the evening of the 15th. At that moment Mars will be gliding below Pollux, the brighter of the Gemini twins. To find the red planet that night, follow an imaginary line leading upward and leftward from Sirius. It will lead first to Procyon, the bright star in Canis Minor, the little dog, then to Mars, which will rival Sirius in brightness.

January’s full moon arrives at 4:27 p.m. on the 13th. At approximately 8:08 p.m. that night, Mars disappears behind the advancing moon—an event that may be lost in the moon’s glare.

Also among the winter stars in the east, look for Orion, the hunter, with his hourglass shape and three closely spaced stars in his belt. At the top of the stellar assembly you’ll find brilliant Capella, in Auriga, the charioteer. And even more brilliant Jupiter is near Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the bull. Next to the moon and Venus, Jupiter is the brightest object in the night sky.