skywatch

A brightly shining Jupiter is worth getting up early for, writes Ian Griffin.

For the first part of this year, Sky Watch columnist Ian Griffin will be spending four nights per month at the University of Canterbury's Mount John Observatory above Lake Tekapo.

With the summer solstice now in the past, every day will be shorter and each night will be longer as our planet continues its annual journey around the sun.

The moon reaches last quarter tomorrow morning. This means that the hours before and just after midnight should be just about perfect for some late-spring stargazing.