For skywatchers, 2026 kicks off with a great chance to view Jupiter at its biggest and brightest, according to NASA’s latest set of tips on what to look out for in the night sky over the coming month. But there’s more than just Jupiter to enjoy, so read on to find out more.
Jupiter at opposition
On January 10, the largest planet in our solar system will be at its most brilliant in all of 2026, so it’s definitely one to catch.
“This night, Jupiter will be at what’s called ‘opposition,’ meaning that Earth will be directly between Jupiter and the sun,” NASA explained in a video shared this week (top). “In this alignment, Jupiter will appear bigger and brighter in the night sky than it will all year.”
To find it, look to the east and you’ll see the planet in the constellation Gemini. It’ll also be one of the brightest objects in the night sky, so it should be easy to spot — clear skies permitting, of course. In fact, only the moon and Venus will appear brighter on the evening of January 10.
The moon and Saturn conjunction
Next up, Saturn and the moon will share the sky on January 23 as part of a conjunction.
“A conjunction happens when objects in the night sky look close together even though they’re actually far apart,” NASA says in the video.
You’ll find the moon easily enough. Look a little bit harder and you should also be able to see Saturn just below our nearest neighbor, glinting faintly in the night sky.
The Beehive Cluster
Finally, January offers a chance to view the Beehive Cluster, also known as Messier 44, or even M44. The Beehive Cluster, which was first resolved into individual stars through a telescope by Galileo in 1609, comprises at least 1,000 stars in an open star cluster, meaning it’s a loosely bound group of stars.
To find the Beehive Cluster, look to the east just after sunset and before midnight over the coming weeks, with NASA suggesting the middle of the month as a great opportunity as at that time the cluster won’t be too high or too low in the sky.
If the sky is dark enough with little light pollution around, you might be able to see the Beehive Cluster with the naked eye, but if you have access to binoculars or a telescope, use them for an even better viewing experience.
