Hi all,
January's sky guide is below:
OBSERVING GUIDE
(Please note all times are UT and are based on an observing location of Belfast)
The Sun
At the start of the month the Sun rises at 08:45 and sets at 16:10. By the end of the month, it rises at 08:15 and sets at 17:00.
The Planets
Watch out on the evenings of the 22nd and 23rd for
Mercury very close to
Neptune low in the South West after sunset.
Starting on the morning of the 29th, watch out for the
Venus-Jupiter conjunction in the East before sunrise. This spectacular sight can be seen over several mornings into the start of February.
Mercury is well placed for observation this month as it is at greatest eastern elongation on the 22nd. At the start of the month, it sets less than half an hour after the Sun at 16:35. By month’s end it sets more than an hour after the Sun at 18:20. It is best observed from the second week of the month onwards, low down in the SouthWest after sunset. At the start of the month, it is mag -0.9 and by the 22nd, has faded to mag -0.4. After the 22nd, it moves back towards the sun again and fades to mag +2.0 by month’s end.
Venus is a prominent morning object this month, rising at the start of the month at 05:30 and by month’s end it rises at 06:40. It fades from mag -4.1 at the start of the month to mag -4.0 by month’s end.
Mars was at opposition last month and is still well paced for observation. It rises during daylight hours throughout the month and moves out of Gemini into Taurus during the month. It fades from mag -1.5 at the start of the month to mag -0.6 by month’s end.
Jupiter is badly placed for observation this month as it was at conjunction last month. At the start of the month, it rises at 08:20, less than half an hour before the Sun. By month’s end, it rises more than an hour before the Sun at 06:50.
Saturn is well placed for observation this month as it is at opposition next month. It rises at the start of the month at 21:20 and by month’s end, it rises at 19:15. It can be found in Leo and brightens from mag +0.6 at the start of the month to mag +0.4 by month’s end.
Uranus can be found in Aquarius. It sets at 22:15 at the start of the month and by month’s end, it sets at 20:25. It maintains its brightness at mag +5.9 during the month.
Neptune disappears into the evening twilight this month and is at conjunction next month. It can be found in Capricornus. At the start of the month, it sets at 19:50 and by month’s end, it sets at 17:55. It maintains its brightness at mag +8.0 during the month.
The Moon
The new moon is on the 8th with the first quarter moon on the 15th. The full moon this month is on the 22nd. The last quarter moon is on the 30th.
On the morning of the 5th, a 9% illuminated waning crescent moon lies close to
Venus, to the South of the planet. Completing the scene,
Antares lies less than two degrees to the North-East of the moon with the globular cluster –
M4, lying less than a degree to the North of the moon.
On the evening of the 9th, a very thin 1% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies a degree South of
Mercury, low in the South-West, immediately after sunset. Please be sure that the sun is below the horizon before observing this.
On the evening of the 12th, a 19% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies within two degrees of
Uranus in the West after sunset.
On the evening of the 18th, a 74% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies less than four degrees to the West of
M45 – The Pleiades.
On the evening of the 19th/morning of the 20th, a 91% illuminated waxing gibbous moon passes within less than a degree of
Mars at around midnight.
On the evening of the 22nd, the full moon passes through
M44 – The Beehive Cluster. The event takes place from 21:00 approximately.
In the early hours of the morning of the 25th, the 92% illuminated waning gibbous moon passes three degrees South of
Saturn.
Meteors
There is one major shower this month and in addition also several minor showers. The major one is the
Quadrantids. They peak in the pre-dawn hours of January 4th. The ZHR is 120, although it could vary between 60 and 200. The radiant is in Bootes which is only really visible in the pre-dawn hours. There will be little lunar interference for this shower with a 16% illuminated waning crescent moon rising at 05:35 on the morning of January 4th.
The minor showers are:
The
Rho Geminids which peak on the 8th/9th;
The
January Bootids which peak between the 16th and the 18th;
The
Delta Cancrids which peak on the 17th;
The
January Draconids which peak between the 13th and the 16th;
The
Alpha Leonids which peak between the 24th and the 31st.
Lunar conditions for these minor showers vary. The
Rho Geminids suffer no interference. The
January Draconids may suffer some interference with a waxing crescent moon setting at 22:55 on the evening of the 13th and then progressively later in the evening during their peak. Both the
January Bootids and
Delta Cancrids may suffer some interference with an ever brightening waxing gibbous moon setting in the pre-dawn hours during their respective peaks. Interference for the
Alpha Leonids diminishes throughout its peak period. On the evening of the 24th, a very bright waning gibbous moon – 2 days after full rises at 19:30. By the 31st, a waning crescent moon rises only at 05:45 on the morning of the 1st February.
Comets
Comet 8P/Tuttle is predicted to peak at mag +5.7 around the 5th/6th. It is then predicted to fade as it moves South. It is best observed in the first half of the month before it fades and gets too low in the sky. The full moon on the 22nd also hampers observations in the latter part of the month. Current observations estimate the comet’s brightness at mag +6.1. Between the 1st and 2nd, it passes four degrees to the West of Beta Arietis. It passes within less than three degrees of M74 – a spiral galaxy in Pisces on the morning of the 3rd in the pre-dawn hours. It will be two degrees to the West of Alpha Piscium on January 6th and three degrees South of the same star the next night. It can be located in Cetus between the 10th and 15th and in Fornax between the 20th and 25th before ending the month in Eradinus.
Comet 17P/Holmes can be located in Perseus for the month of January. Current observations estimate its brightness at mag +4.8.
Comet 46P/Wirtanen is predicted to peak at mag +8.5 in February. Current observations estimate the comet’s brightness at mag +10.0. It can be located in Aquarius in the early part of the month. It then moves out of Aquarius, heading towards Pisces during the rest of the month.
Up to date information and finder charts for comets can be found at
www.aerith.net
and
www.skyhound.com/sh/comets.html
Deep Sky
On the deep sky front this month, M31 – the Great Andromeda Galaxy can be found in Andromeda, along with its two satellite galaxies – M32 and M110. M33 – a good spiral galaxy can be found in Triangulum. The Double Cluster – NGC 869 and NGC 884 makes for a great sight in Perseus. M42 – The Great Orion Nebula is a must see. In Taurus – M45 – The Pleiades and the Hyades are both excellent targets. Also in Taurus, M1 – The Crab Nebula – the Supernova Remnant can be located. Finally there are some excellent open clusters in Auriga, Gemini, Cancer and Canis Major - M35 in Gemini, M36, M37 and M38 in Auriga, M44 – The Beehive Cluster and M67 in Cancer and M41 in Canis Major.
For further observing information, check out
www.eaas.co.uk/stargazers.html
.
General Notes
Always keep an eye out for
Aurorae. Check out
www.stronge.org.uk/spaceweather.html
for the most up-to-date information on the aurorae.
Other interesting naked eye phenomena to look out for include the
Zodiacal Light and the
Gegenschein. Both are caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles which are present in the solar system. The
Zodiacal Light can be seen in the West after evening twilight has disappeared or in the East before the morning twilight. The best time of year to see the phenomenon is late-Feb to early-April in the evening sky and September/October in the morning sky -- it's then that the ecliptic, along which the cone of the zodiacal light lies, is steepest in our skies. The
Gegenschein can be seen in the area of the sky opposite the sun. To view either, you must get yourself to a very dark site to cut out the light pollution. Moonlight also hampers the view.
Finally check out
www.heavens-above.com
for the latest passes of the ISS and for details of Iridium Flare activity.
Clear Skies
Neill McKeown
Rendezvous with Deep Sky Objects/Comets for Period January 1st to January 31st 2008 for Comets 17P/Holmes, 8P/Tuttle and 46P/Wirtanen
Comet 8P/Tuttle
Date Time(UT) Dist. (deg)Mag. Target Type Mag.
Jan. 3 11h 2.06 5.8 M74 galaxy 9.2
Jan. 4 1h 1.01 5.8 NGC 660 galaxy 10.8
Jan. 6 1h 1.13 5.7 NGC 676 galaxy 11
Jan. 6 5h 0.61 5.7 NGC 741 galaxy 11.3
Jan. 6 13h 0.46 5.7 NGC 718 galaxy 11.7
Jan. 9 12h 0.99 5.8 NGC 779 galaxy 11
Jan. 9 19h 0.83 5.8 NGC 788 galaxy 12.3
Jan. 9 23h 1.22 5.8 IC 207 galaxy 12.8
Jan. 11 0h 0.42 5.9 NGC 833 galaxy 12.7
Jan. 11 0h 0.44 5.9 NGC 835 galaxy 12.2
Jan. 11 0h 0.49 5.9 NGC 838 galaxy 12.8
Jan. 13 9h 1.45 6 NGC 887 galaxy 12.8
Jan. 15 15h 0.96 6.1 NGC 908 galaxy 10.2
Jan. 17 4h 0.88 6.2 UGC 32 galaxy 12.9
Jan. 17 10h 0.47 6.2 NGC 922 galaxy 12.2
Jan. 24 4h 0.69 6.6 MCG-06-07-00galaxy 8.8
Jan. 24 5h 0.58 6.6 PGC 10074 galaxy 6.8
Comet 17P/Holmes
Date Time (UT) Dist. (deg) Mag. Target Type Mag.
Jan. 3 10h 3.23 5.1 M34 open 5.2
Jan. 12 3h 0.75 5.5 NGC 1186 galaxy 12.5
Jan. 14 5h 0.31 5.6 NGC 1175 galaxy 12.8
Jan. 15 10h 0.58 5.7 IC 284 galaxy 12.6
Jan. 30 12h 1.43 6.4 NGC 1270 galaxy 12.9
Jan. 31 7h 1.55 6.4 NGC 1275 galaxy 11.6
Comet 46P/Wirtanen
Date Time (UT) Dist. (deg) Mag. Target Type Mag.
Jan. 1 17h 1.66 10.3 NGC 7723 galaxy 11.1
Jan. 2 10h 1.27 10.2 NGC 7727 galaxy 10.7
Jan. 14 21h 0.59 9.4 MCG -01-01-052galaxy 12.4
Jan. 15 11h 1.22 9.4 MCG -01-01-064galaxy 12.6
Jan. 26 23h 0.28 8.9148P/Anderson-LINEAR comet 18.8
Jan. 29 5h 2.53 8.8 IC 1613 galaxy 9.3
