This week, a beautiful sight awaits those out and about before sunrise. The waning crescent moon slips between the bright red star Antares in Scorpius, before cruising between the two brightest planets in the sky, Venus and Jupiter. The moon and the two planets are the three brightest objects in the night sky, outshone only during the day by the sun. Although considerably less bright, Antares will add a touch of beauty because of its distinctly red colour.
The chart shows the view looking south-east on 31 January 2019 at 06:00 GMT. On this night the Moon will sit between the two planets. It will be a beautiful crescent, with just 18% of its surface illuminated. To see this view, however, you will need a clear horizon. The worlds will only rise very late in the night and the sun will not be far behind to wash them away from view with daybreak.
The day before, the Moon will be a slightly fatter crescent and will be between Jupiter and Antares. The day after, the Moon will have sunk past Venus and contracted to an even more slender crescent.
