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6d ago

Crescent Moon Brushes Past Saturn Tonight, With Neptune Nearby

The pairing offers one of the last convenient evening looks at Saturn before it sinks toward the Sun’s glare.

Look at the curved feature at the center of this lunar image — does it look as if a huge celestial ram left a hoofprint on the Moon? Credit: Consolidated Lunar Atlas/UA/LPL
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Overview

  • The close pairing peaks after sunset on Friday, Jan. 23, low in the west–southwest, with the best window roughly 30–60 minutes after local sunset.
  • Saturn sits just below a thin waxing crescent Moon, while Neptune appears about 2 degrees northeast of Saturn as part of a tight visual grouping.
  • Neptune requires binoculars or a small telescope to detect, but the Moon and Saturn are visible to the naked eye with a clear, low horizon.
  • Binoculars enhance Earthshine on the Moon’s dark side, and a small telescope may still show Saturn’s rings and its moon Titan in steady conditions.
  • Cloud cover and light pollution will determine visibility, with National Weather Service forecasts highlighting where skies are most likely to cooperate.