Comets for both morning and evening
January lets us do an end run around the Moon's bright glare. When it washes out the sky near one interplanetary fuzzball, a second one comes into view on the sky's other side. Newcomer C/2007 N3 (Lulin) glides in the Moon-free morning skies during January's first 2 weeks, then the returning Comet 85P/Boethin becomes a prime evening target after midmonth.
Lulin tips the scales of Libra, between ruddy Antares and blue-white Spica. Glowing at 8th magnitude, this primordial snowball hails from the distant Oort Cloud. The comet makes its closest approach to the Sun January 10, but it will continue to brighten as it approaches Earth. It's destined never to return to the inner solar system. You'll need an 8-inch telescope to spy this comet from the suburbs, but a 4-inch will reveal it under a dark sky