NASA reports that Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will align in the night sky this month.
Bea Karnes and Patch Staff
FAIR OAKS-CARMICHAEL, CA — Skygazers are in for a special celestial treat with this year’s full wolf moon on Monday night if sky conditions in Fair Oaks and Carmichael cooperate. Right now, the forecast calls for clear skies.
The moon will pass directly in front of Mars, combining with the bright star Pollux to create a stunning view. Mars is one of four planets lining up this month in a rare four-planet conjunction.
Below is all you need to know about taking it all in.
The moon reaches peak illumination at 2:27 p.m. PST Monday. Once it peeks over the horizon, it’s time to start watching for the magic. Times vary by region, according to NASA, whose times are localized to the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Throughout January, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will align in the night sky, according to NASA.
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Just after sunset, look southwest and find Venus and Saturn low in the sky. Jupiter shines brightly above them, and Mars glows in the eastern sky. They’re all visible to the naked eye during clear conditions, but a telescope may reveal two other planets, Uranus and Neptune.
Because the planets align along the ecliptic, the solar system’s orbital plane, they appear to seem close together from Earth, NASA explains.
Each evening in January, Venus and Saturn will appear closer together, appearing the closest on Jan. 17-18 before gradually moving apart. NASA says the rare event offers a great opportunity for skywatchers to observe planetary movement.
January’s full moon is known as the wolf moon. Wolves seem to howl more at this time of year as the snow and cold of winter set in. According to lore, wolves howled because they were starving.
That’s not the case, though.
The truth reveals the complexity of wolves’ social lives.
“Howling is for long-distance communication to pull a pack back together and keep strangers away,” according to the National Wildlife Federation.
Howling is just one of the ways wolves communicate. They also use body language, mark their territories with scent, and bark and growl. Much of their communication is about reinforcing the social hierarchy of the pack, according to the NWF.
This communication also includes submissive behavior. A wolf not willing to challenge the hierarchy will often crouch and whimper, tuck in its tail, lick the other wolf’s mouth or roll over on its back, the organization said. If the opposite is true and a wolf wants to challenge the status quo, it will often growl and lay its ears back.