A couple of issues ago, the constellation Perseus was featured in this column. At the time, no one was expecting the rare treat that appeared there in late October. The rather obscure Comet Holmes suddenly burst into view, brightening about a million times to become a naked eye object.

Astronomers have been looking forward to the arrival of Comet Tuttle, expecting it to brighten by late December and, perhaps, become visible to the naked eye, but barring another surprise (and, as we have seen, comets can - and do - surprise), at its best it will fail to outshine Holmes.

Still Tuttle will be worth a look (in binoculars or a telescope). It'll be closest to Earth on New Year's Day and quickly move through Aries into Cetus by midmonth, fading nightly. Its 13.6 year orbit will bring it back in our vicinity in 2021.

The peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower is predicted to occur around 11 p.m. on the night of Jan. 3-4. It's a short-lived peak, about two hours at most, and favors folks a bit east of us when the radiant point, in the northern part of the constellation Boötes, is higher in the northeastern sky. Still, it too will be worth a look since the waning crescent moon won't rise until after 4 a.m.

Mars continues its retrograde (westward) movement until the end of January. It then resumes normal (eastward motion) through the background of stars.

Although Mars and Earth were closer in mid-December, the Red Planet is still well situated for viewing. Some surface features should be visible in a telescope. The next time Mars will be this close will be in 2016.

The brilliant "morning star," Venus, is rising later each day, around 4:30 a.m. as the new year opens and 50 minutes later by Feb. 1. It moves quickly from Libra through Scorpius and Ophiuchus into Sagittarius, where it has a rendezvous with Jupiter.

Possibly the best planetary conjunction of the year will occur in the predawn hours of Feb. 1 when Venus and Jupiter will be less than 1 degree apart. Venus is the brighter of the two, shining at magnitude minus 4, but Jupiter is no slouch at minus 1.9. Look for them low in the east a little more than an hour before sunrise.

Saturn is still easy to spot in Leo. It rises earlier each night. The tilt of its rings as seen from Earth is diminishing. They'll be edge-on and disappear from view in 2009. Look for the waning gibbous moon nearby on Jan. 24.

You might be able to spot tiny Mercury on a few evenings around Jan. 21 (when the planet reaches its greatest eastern elongation). Look for it low in the southwest shortly after sunset.

If you happen to be in Antarctica on Feb. 7, you might be in line to see an annular eclipse of the sun. Folks in New Zealand and parts of eastern Australia will see a partial solar eclipse. Those of us hanging out in the southwestern U.S. will get just another beautiful day in paradise.

Lewis McCool writes from his home near Dolores, Colo., where he can take advantage of clear nights and dark skies.