January is the perfect time to see the planetary parade, and in Utah and Nevada, we have some of the best skies to witness it. Just get out of town on one of our almost famous clear nights and enjoy the scene.
What is the Planetary Parade? It’s an extraordinary view as Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars line up in a dazzling celestial event. They’re all standing in line like they’re ready to get on the solar system bus, and it’s quite a sight.
To add to the delight, Mars will be reaching opposition during January. What does that mean? When a planet is in opposition, it lies opposite the Sun from Earth’s perspective, making it appear brighter and larger than at any other time in it’s orbit.
That means that during this month, Mars will look brilliantly bright and its characteristic red hue will be on display. Observers using telescopes may even catch details such as its polar ice caps or dust storms. How about that?
So, what do you need? A clear night sky—easy to find in our area—binoculars or a telescope (although you can see it with the naked eye), some friends (also easy to find in our area), a cozy setup like blankets, a heated car, and maybe a thermos of a warm drink. I’d also advise getting a stargazing app like SkyView, which you can get for free…