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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through January 30, 2019. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.

The finest sky show through the 30^this seen about 45 minutes before sunrise, at 6:15 a.m. Then, the brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, blaze above the southeast horizon. Together with the bright star Antares, in Scorpius the Scorpion, they make a slowly shifting pattern that changes with the planetary motions. On Thursday the 24^th, Venus appears to the upper left of fainter Jupiter, and both planets are located to the left of dimmer but distinctly orange Antares. On the next morning, the 25^th, the objects are in a line, with Venus to the left of Jupiter and Antares to its right. Over the next few mornings, Venus moves lower in the sky and farther from Jupiter. The slender crescent moon becomes part of the grouping staring on the 29^th.

The only bright evening planet is Mars. It shines with an orange hue from high in the southwest sky when darkness falls, in the direction of the dim constellation Pisces the Fishes.

The moon’s phase changes from waning gibbous to last quarter on the 27^th. It retreats from the evening sky, rising about an hour later each successive night. As a result, the time of moonrise advances from 9:37 p.m. on the 24^thto 2:46 a.m.  on the 30^th.

Free views of the Sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday, before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for the schedule. The next free public star partyon the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, February 9^th.

Followthe Sky Report on Twitterfor updates of astronomy and space-related events.

From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.