With the winter solstice behind us we start winter off for real and begin the long, slow climb to the dog days of summer.
It will still be a month or so before we start to notice the lengthening of the days.
At this time of year the sun is due north about 12.30pm and at its lowest point for a month or so.
The sun only varies from that position by about 7 degrees so it's usually fairly close to north, but don't get caught out by daylight saving, when the sun is more or less north at 1.30pm.
As for the planets, the giant Jupiter clings on to the evening sky, setting about 6.45pm, about an hour after sunset. Mars remains a conspicuous object all night, setting about 1.25am.