Best Constellations of January: Night Sky Map for 2025

~4 min
Topics:Constellations & Asterisms
January constellations and stars
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Enjoy the night sky this January by spotting Canis Major, Orion, Taurus, Gemini, and other beautiful star patterns! With the free Sky Tonight app, finding them is easy — it only takes three taps. Read this article to learn about all the must-see January constellations, the best times to view them, and more.

Contents

January night sky map

Here is a January sky map that shows the stars and constellations, assuming you’re looking at the sky at 9 p.m. in the Northern Hemisphere and at 10 p.m. in the Southern Hemisphere (where darkness falls later).

January sky (Northern Hemisphere)
View of the southern sky at 9:00 p.m. as seen from New York, USA, for mid-January.
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January sky (Southern Hemisphere)
View of the northern sky at 10:00 p.m. as seen from Sydney, Australia, for mid-January.
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In this article, we’ll talk about the most prominent constellations that are best seen in January. Remember, constellations stay visible for more than just one month, so some of them may also appear in December or February guides.

Below, you’ll see latitude ranges where each constellation can be observed. To quickly check if a constellation is visible from your exact location, use the Sky Tonight app.

Canis Major

  • Visible between: 60°N and 90°S
  • Brightest star: Sirius (mag -1.46)
  • Brightest deep-sky object: Little Beehive Cluster (M41, mag 4.5)
Canis Major constellation
Canis Major represents the “greater dog” following the hunter Orion in Greek mythology. The constellation is depicted as a dog standing on its hind legs, chasing a hare, represented by the constellation Lepus.
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Canis Major features Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, glowing high above the southern horizon in January-February. Around 9 p.m., the constellation is already at a comfortable viewing height. Nearby, you’ll find Canis Minor with the star Procyon (mag 0.4).

In addition to Sirius, Canis Major has several other bright stars (Beta, Delta, and Epsilon Canis Majoris). Inside the quadrangle they form lies the Little Beehive Cluster, which looks stunning through binoculars or a small telescope.

Orion

  • Visible between: 85°N and 75°S
  • Brightest star: Rigel (mag 0.13)
  • Well-known asterism: Orion’s Belt
  • Brightest deep-sky object: Orion Nebula (M42, mag 4)
Constellation Orion myth
In Greek mythology, Orion was a great hunter who died tragically, either by Artemis's arrow or the sting of the giant scorpion. The gods placed Orion, his dogs, and the animals he hunted in the heavens, and put Scorpius on the opposite side of the sky, ensuring the two would never meet again.
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Orion dominates the skies in January. When the darkness falls, see the constellation above the southern horizon. The three stars forming Orion’s Belt (Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka) are equally bright and lined up in a straight row. Near them is the Orion Sword — its middle “star” is actually the Orion Nebula, where new stars and planets are being born.

Orion’s seven brightest stars shine through light pollution, making it one of the easiest constellations to spot, even in a city.

Auriga

  • Visible between: 90°N and 40°S
  • Brightest star: Capella (mag 0.08)
  • Well-known asterism: The Kids
  • Brightest deep-sky object: Pinwheel Cluster (M36, mag 6.3)
Constellation Auriga myth
Auriga isn’t precisely connected to any Greek or Roman myth. The most popular interpretation is that it represents Erichthonius, a legendary Athenian king. Raised by Athena, he learned to tame horses and became the first to harness four in a chariot.
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You’ll find Auriga near Orion. Its brightest star, Capella, marks the top of the Winter Hexagon (an asterism visible on long winter nights). Auriga has an irregular shape, and the Milky Way runs through it — a perfect opportunity for binocular viewing.

Taurus

  • Visible between: 90°N and 65°S
  • Brightest star: Aldebaran (mag 0.86)
  • Well-known asterism: Golden Gate of the Ecliptic
  • Brightest deep-sky object: Pleiades (M45, mag 1.6)
Constellation Taurus myth
The Greeks saw Taurus as Zeus in disguise. Zeus, smitten with Europa, lured her by appearing as a majestic white bull. When she climbed onto its back, the bull carried her across the sea to Crete, where Zeus revealed his true form and made her his mistress.
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The zodiac constellation Taurus sits west of Auriga and is known for the fiery red star Aldebaran and the gorgeous Pleiades cluster. In mythology, this bull charges Orion, who defends himself with a club and shield. The Pleiades include over 300 stars; you can often see 6 or 7 of them with the naked eye.

Another major star cluster in Taurus is the Hyades. Aldebaran appears among the Hyades but isn’t actually part of the cluster: the star is 65 light-years from the Earth, while the Hyades are 132 light-years away. In this constellation, you’ll also find the Crab Nebula (M1), a remnant of a supernova observed in 1054.

Gemini

  • Visible between: 90°N and 60°S
  • Brightest star: Pollux (mag 1.14)
  • Brightest deep-sky object: M35 (mag 5.1)
Constellation Gemini myth
In Greek mythology, the constellation represents the immortal Pollux and the mortal Castor, twin sons of Queen Leda of Sparta and two fathers – the human king Tyndareus and the mighty Zeus. When Castor died in a battle, Pollux begged his father Zeus to give Castor immortality. So now they shine together eternally.
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Look north to find Gemini, another zodiac constellation. Two bright stars attract attention first of all: Pollux (the lower star, part of the Winter Hexagon) and Castor. Under dark skies, you can trace the entire constellation with your eyes.

Perseus

  • Visible between: 90°N and 35°S
  • Brightest star: Mirfak (mag 1.79)
  • Well-known asterism: Segment of Perseus
  • Brightest deep-sky object: Double Cluster (NGC 869 & NGC 884, mag 3.8)
Constellation Perseus myth
Perseus, a legendary Greek hero, is famous for slaying the Gorgon Medusa and rescuing Andromeda. He decapitated Medusa while she slept to avoid her deadly gaze. On his way back to Greece, he saved Andromeda, an Ethiopian princess, from a sea monster and took her as his bride.
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Perseus lies near the zenith in the early evening hours and is famed for star clusters and the variable star Algol. The constellation’s shape resembles an upside-down slingshot. Its upper boundary points toward Cassiopeia, which is visible all year round in the Northern Hemisphere.

Bonus: The Winter Hexagon

The Winter Hexagon, or the Winter Circle, is a large asterism comprising six first-magnitude stars from different constellations (all of them mentioned in this article). You can spot Capella (Auriga), Aldebaran (Taurus), Rigel (Orion), Sirius (Canis Major), Procyon (Canis Minor), and Pollux (Gemini) forming a giant hexagon in the sky. It’s visible from December to mid-April — winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

Winter Hexagon (Winter Circle)
The Winter Hexagon is a large circular star pattern visible in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter sky and in the Southern Hemisphere’s summer sky, where it’s called the Summer Hexagon. In the Southern Hemisphere, it can be extended to include the bright star Canopus.
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How to find constellations in the night sky?

The simplest way to locate any constellation or star is by using the free Sky Tonight app. If you’d rather go old-school, try star-hopping: our handy infographic shows how to find 15 famous stars using the Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt. After trying this classic method, confirm your discoveries with the interactive sky map in Sky Tonight — it works offline, so you can test your skills wherever you are!

15 stars everyone can find Intro
Learn how to identify the most famous stars: Polaris, Sirius, Arcturus, and many others. Familiarize yourself with the night sky using this infographic!
See Infographic

Constellations visible in January: bottom line

January skies feature iconic constellations like Orion, Canis Major (with dazzling Sirius), and Taurus with the striking Pleiades. Look for the Winter Hexagon to guide you across multiple constellations at once. Enjoy the night sky!

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Topics:Constellations & Asterisms
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