The dark days will soon be over. Throughout January, the daylight hours increase, though it is not uniform across all regions.

January typically stands as the coldest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Following the winter solstice, the polar regions reach their maximum cooling, resulting in severe frosts on clear nights.

However, even as we patiently await the arrival of spring, the daylight hours are already on the rise.

This is most noticeable in the north of the country. In Inverness for example, December saw a minimum daylight length of 6 hours 35 minutes, while by the end of January, daylight will have extended to 8 hours 18 minutes; nearly a two hour difference.

Although these changes are initially slow in the mornings, the lengthening evening brightness becomes quite noticeable in the second half of the month. One contributing factor to this uneven increase in daylight is the orbital characteristics of the Earth's revolution around the sun.

Clear winter nights present excellent opportunities for stargazers in the UK and Ireland. Weather permitting, the extended winter nights showcase a plethora of captivating objects in the night sky.

Winter constellations, marked by their notably bright stars and numerous faint nebulae and galaxies, are easily visible, making a visit to an observatory highly rewarding.

Telescopes offer stunning views of many planets in our solar system. The dance of Jupiter's brightest moons around the giant planet is often more discernible on clear winter nights compared to the short and often hazy summer nights.

Additionally, the moon, with its changing phases, presents attractive views, especially at the boundary between the illuminated and shadowed sides.

Even with binoculars, the larger craters and the shadows cast by mountains on the moon's rugged surface are clearly visible.

For more information on the moon's phases in 2024 and special celestial alignments in the lunar calendar, we have all the details for you coming soon in the next astro outlook.