Following the Winter Solstice on December 22, daylight hours expand again through January and by the last week of the month, the sun is setting later than 4.30pm.

Jupiter is the most prominent planet on view through January, and will be in the south at around 7pm mid-month.

On the evening of the 18th, the first quarter moon will pass close to Jupiter and the pairing will make for a fine sight if skies are clear.

The map shows the view as it will be at 9pm on the 18th, looking towards the south west.

Through a good pair of binoculars, it should be possible to see, in the same field of view, Jupiter, its four brightest moons (which will appear as star-like points) and our own moon.

In terms of sizes, our moon is the fifth largest in the Solar System, with a diameter of 2,160 miles.

Three of Jupiter’s moons are larger, led by Ganymede, which having a diameter of 3,280 miles is actually larger than the planet Mercury.

Venus can still be seen in the south east before dawn, but early in the month is best as our ‘Sister Planet’ is getting lower in the pre-dawn sky as the month progresses.

Full moon is on the 25th, not quite as high in the sky as in December, but peaking at 60 degrees above the horizon around midnight, if skies are clear, the winter moonlight will be bright.   

Mid-month will bring the darkest moon-free skies for star gazing. The winter constellations are all well placed during the evening, with Orion at its highest in the south at 10pm.

Almost overhead is the star Capella, the brightest star in the constellation of Auriga and a prominent circumpolar star – which means that from our latitude it never sets.

On winter nights Capella rides high in the sky and in summer it can be seen in evening twilight low in the north.