Night sky map January 2021 STAR BRIGHTNESS Zero or brighter st 1 magnitude nd 2 Andromeda Galaxy 3rd 4th Hyades M1Hyades - Crab Nebula M45 - Pleiades Mars P First Quarter Moon on the 21st Orion’s belt M42 - Orion Nebula The “Saucepan” M2 Fomalhaut Mercury P Jupiter P Saturn P Tarantula Nebula 47 Tucanae False Cross Carina Nebula Southern Cross Chart Key Diamond Cross Bright star Pointers Faint star Ecliptic MOON PHASE Milky Way Last quarter 06th P Planet New Moon 13th LMC or Large Magellanic Cloud First quarter 21st SMC or Small Magellanic Cloud Full Moon 29th THE CHART HIGHLIGHTS IN JANUARY 2021 This star chart shows the stars and constellations visible in the The best time to view the Moon with a small night sky for Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart in telescope or pair of binoculars is a few days either January at about 8:30pm (Daylight Savings Time), or 7:30pm side of its first quarter phase on the 21st of January. (Local Standard Time) for Perth and Brisbane. For Darwin and Mars is high in the northern sky after sunset in the similar northerly locations, the chart will still apply, but some constellation of Aries (the Ram). Prominent in the stars will be lost off the southern edge while extra stars will be sky this month, are the constellations of Canis visible to the north. Stars down to a brightness or magnitude Major (the Great Dog) which includes Sirius – the limit of 4.5 are shown on the star chart. To use this star chart, brightest star in the sky and Orion (the Hunter), rotate the chart so that the direction you are facing (north, which includes the recognisable southern south, east or west) is shown at the bottom. The centre of the hemisphere asterism of the “Saucepan”. Crux (the chart represents the point directly above your head, called the Southern Cross) is low in the south-eastern sky and zenith point, and the outer circular edge represents the can be located by looking for the two adjacent horizon. Pointer stars in the constellation of Centaurus (the Centaur). Sydney Observatory is part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. The Sydney Observatory night sky map was created by Dr M. Anderson using the TheSky software. This month’s edition was prepared by Melissa Hulbert. © 2020 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney. .