Country diary: Look up! Tonight’s the night to see Jupiter at its brightest | Nigel Brown

Ynys Môn (Anglesey): The wolf moon is spectacular enough, but look east and you’ll see a celestial titan the size of a pinprickAs unmissable as new year’s fireworks, the wolf moon held the heavens for the first few nights of January, casting an unearthly radiance over everything, night almost as bright as day. Now, as that moon wanes, prepare to be wowed by a true planetary A-lister: Jupiter.Named after the king of the sky gods in Roman mythology, Jupiter rises each evening in the east, unmatched by any star save Sirius. Tonight, however, it will be at its biggest and brightest, having reached “opposition”, meaning we on Earth are directly between Jupiter and the sun. If you have never tried “star” gazing before, tonight’s the night to start. Continue reading...