Stargazers have enjoyed seeing Venus appear next to the Moon.
The second rock coming from the sun can be seen on Friday night with the naked eye in areas with clear skies and low light pollution. Some were able to capture stunning photos of the morning star, so named because it is often confused with a bright star.
Dr Robert Massey, deputy director of the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society, told the BBC that observers hoping to catch a glimpse of celestial fireworks after sunset will need to “stay as far away from light pollution as possible”.
“If you have time to observe and the weather is good, take a look because it’s a perfect New Year’s gift,” he said.
Venus is often confused with unidentified flying objects. In December, people in New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts in the US thought they had seen drones, but astronomy enthusiasts concluded that some of the sightings were misidentifications of stars and Venus. Others were satellites, planes and helicopters.
January is shaping up to be a great month for stargazing, as many celestial events will become visible. The Quadrantid meteor shower reaches its peak this weekend and will be visible until January 12.
Venus becomes brighter and sets later as it approaches Earth, making it more prominent.
By mid-January, Mars may appear as the planet moves directly between Earth and the Sun. According to the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London, three more planets from our solar system will appear on January 21, including Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn, after 9 p.m. All of them should be visible to the naked eye, except for Uranus, which requires a telescope.
Anyone who wants to spot planets and phenomena appearing in the night sky during January should move to an area with low light pollution and give their eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness.