Stargazers have been treated to seeing the planet Venus as it made an appearance next to the moon.
The second rock from the sun could be seen on Friday night with the naked eye in areas with clear skies and low light pollution. Some were able to take incredible photographs of the morning star, so named because it is often mistaken for a bright star.
Dr Robert Massey, the deputy director of the UK Royal Astronomical Society, told the BBC that observers hoping to catch a glimpse of the celestial fireworks after sunset would need to get “as far away from light pollution as possible”.
He said: “If you have the time to look out and the weather is good, then do take a look because it’s a perfect new year treat.”
Venus is also often mistaken for unknown flying objects. In December people in New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts in the US thought they were seeing drones, but astronomy enthusiasts concluded that some of the sightings were misidentifications of stars and Venus. Others were satellites, planes and helicopters.
January is expected to be a great month for stargazing, as numerous celestial happenings will become visible. The Quadrantid meteor shower is at its peak this weekend and will be visible until 12 January.
Venus is getting brighter and setting later as it orbits closer to Earth, which will make it even more prominent.
By mid-January, Mars may make an appearance when the planet moves directly between the Earth and the sun. According to the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London, on 21 January three more planets from our solar system, including Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn, will come into view after 9pm. All should be visible with the naked eye, except Uranus, which requires a telescope.
Anyone who wants to spot the planets and phenomena popping up in the night sky over January should move to an area with low light pollution and give their eyes at least 15 minutes to adapt to the dark.
