Ever walked outside after dinner, looked up, and wondered which of those dots is actually a planet? Most of us just see "stars." But tonight—Sunday, January 18, 2026—you’re actually looking at a celestial map in motion. If you’ve been hunting for Mars or Venus lately, you’ve probably noticed they’re nowhere to be found.
Basically, the solar system is playing favorites right now.
We’re currently in the middle of a massive "planetary drought" for the inner planets, while the outer giants are putting on a career-best performance. Today is particularly special because it’s a New Moon. With the moon essentially invisible, the sky is a blank, inky canvas. This is the absolute best time to see the faint details of the gas giants without that giant "night light" washing everything out.
Where Are the Planets Now: The "Big Two" Dominating the Night
Right now, if you can see any planets at all, you're looking at Jupiter and Saturn. Everything else is currently hiding behind the Sun or lost in its glare.
Jupiter: The King is at His Peak
Honestly, Jupiter is the star of the show this month. It just reached "opposition" on January 10th. In plain English? Earth passed directly between the Sun and Jupiter.
Because we’re so close to it right now, Jupiter is at its biggest and brightest for all of 2026. You’ll find it hanging out in the constellation Gemini, near the "twin" stars Castor and Pollux.
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Around 90 minutes after sunset, look about 25° above the eastern horizon. It’s impossible to miss. It’s a steady, creamy-white light that doesn't twinkle like the stars around it. If you have a decent pair of binoculars, try to hold them steady (or prop them on a fence). You’ll see four tiny pinpricks of light—the Galilean moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
Saturn: Catch It Before It’s Gone
Saturn is the other survivor in our night sky, but it’s on its way out. It’s currently in Aquarius (moving toward Pisces).
You’ve gotta be quick with this one. An hour after sunset, look toward the southwest. It’s about halfway up the sky. It looks like a yellowish "star," though much dimmer than Jupiter. Saturn is currently setting about five hours after the Sun, which means by 10:00 PM or so, it’s gone.
Pro tip: Saturn's rings are tilted almost edge-on to Earth right now. Through a small telescope, they might look like a thin needle piercing the planet rather than the wide hula-hoops you see in textbooks.
Why You Can’t Find Venus, Mars, or Mercury
It’s frustrating when you go out expecting to see the "Brightest Planet" (Venus) and find nothing but empty space.
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Here is the deal: Venus, Mars, and Mercury are all currently in "conjunction." They are basically on the far side of the Sun from our perspective. Imagine a giant bonfire (the Sun) and your friend is standing directly behind it. You can't see them because the fire is too bright.
- Venus: Reached superior conjunction on January 6th. It won't emerge as an "Evening Star" until late March.
- Mars: Reached solar conjunction on January 9th. It’s effectively "behind" the Sun and won't be visible in the predawn sky until the end of March.
- Mercury: It’s actually at superior conjunction today, January 18th. It starts moving back into the evening sky next month, but for now, it's invisible.
Seeing the "Hidden" Ice Giants
If you have a telescope and a very dark backyard, you can actually spot the outcasts of the solar system right now.
Neptune is hovering near Saturn in the southwest. You absolutely cannot see it with the naked eye. It looks like a tiny, blue-ish dot through a good scope. Similarly, Uranus is currently hanging out in Taurus, not far from the Pleiades star cluster.
Since it’s a New Moon tonight, the sky is dark enough that you might actually have a shot at finding Uranus with binoculars if you use a star chart app like Stellarium or SkySafari. It’ll look like a "star" that’s just a little too green.
What Most People Get Wrong About Planetary Motion
A common mistake is thinking the planets move across the sky quickly. They don't.
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Jupiter, for instance, is currently in retrograde. This is a weird optical illusion where it looks like it's moving backward (westward) against the stars. It’s like when you’re in a fast car passing a slower car—for a second, the slow car looks like it's moving backward.
Because we’re "lapping" Jupiter right now, it’s drifting 0.5° away from the star Wasat over the next few nights. You can actually track this! Take a photo tonight and another in three days. You’ll see the gap between Jupiter and the nearby stars has shifted.
Actionable Steps for Tonight
Don't just read about it—go look. The New Moon window is short.
- Check the Sunset: Find out exactly when the sun sets in your city.
- 6:00 PM Look West: Find Saturn in the southwest before it sinks too low.
- 8:00 PM Look East: Identify Jupiter. It will be the brightest thing in the sky other than maybe an airplane.
- Use the "Fist" Rule: Hold your fist at arm's length against the horizon. One fist is roughly 10°. Saturn should be about three to four "fists" up in the southwest around 6:00 PM.
- Look for Earthshine: Wait a few days. By January 20th or 21st, a tiny sliver of a crescent moon will reappear. Look for "The Old Moon in the New Moon's Arms," where you can see the dark part of the moon faintly glowing from light reflected off Earth.
The solar system is never static. While the inner planets are taking a nap behind the Sun, Jupiter is giving us the best show of the decade. Bundle up, grab a hot coffee, and get outside before Saturn sets for the night.
To keep tracking these movements as the inner planets emerge in March, you can download a sky map for the current month from resources like Skymaps.com or use a real-time tracking app.