Ellington

The Dalles — December was a sleepy month for astronomy, the sky and weather didn’t cooperate with us one bit.

January may pose the same results; however, with a little bit of foresight and just the right window on a clear night one will be able to enjoy the nights sky this month.

The month begins with Jupiter being that yellowish evening jewel in the eastern-southeastern sky at about 55 degrees.

Jupiter will continue to climb higher every evening, finally setting in the west-northwest before dawn. It can currently be found in the constellation Taurus.

Saturn is the next likely suspect as it travels along the constellation Libra which rises after 2 a.m. A telescope will show the northern face of the planet’s rings, now tilted 19 degrees in our direction in the south-southeast.

Venus pops its head over the east-southeast horizon about 6 a.m. and proves why it’s known as our brightest planet.

If you’re interested in viewing some of these planets, the invitation is open to all on a nice clear evening to drop us a line at columbiagorgeama@

yahoo.com, or on Facebook at Columbia Gorge Amateur Astronomers.