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January 2009 Observing Guide
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15 years 11 months ago - 15 years 11 months ago #75628
by Neill
January 2009 Observing Guide was created by Neill
OBSERVING GUIDE
(Please note all times are UT and are based on an observing location of Belfast and covers the month of January)
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
On the evening of the 1st, Mercury and Jupiter lie less than two degrees apart low in the South-West. Jupiter lies to the West of Mercury. You should start looking half-an-hour after sunset. In the days that follow, the distance between them increases.
On the evening of the 22nd, Venus lies just over a degree to the North of Uranus. Look out for the distance between the two close as this date approaches and also how the distance increases after the date. On the evening of the 29th, an 11% illuminated waxing crescent moon completes a nice scene with the two planets. It lies to the North-West of Uranus and to the West of Venus.
Mercury is well placed for observation at the start of the month. It sets over an hour after the Sun, low in the South-West on the 1st at 17:40 and is mag -0.7. It is at greatest eastern elongation on the 4th and is visible until the 10th. After this it is lost to the Sun’s glare and is at inferior conjunction on the 20th. By month’s end, it has become a morning planet, rising over an hour before the Sun at 07:05, low in the South-East and is mag +0.8.
Venus is well placed for observation in the West after sunset this month. At the start of the month it sets at 20:30 and by month’s end; sets at 21:35. It brightens from mag -4.3 to mag -4.5 during the month.
Mars is poorly placed for observation this month.
Jupiter is lost to the sun’s glare this month. At the start of the month, it sets over an hour after the sun at 17:40 and is mag -1.9. It has a close encounter with Mercury (See above). It is not visible beyond mid-month and is at conjunction on the 24th.
Saturn can be located in Leo this month. It rises at 22:40 at the start of the month and by month’s end; it rises at 20:35. It brightens from mag +0.9 to mag +0.7 during the month. With the planet’s ring plane almost edge on, this is not a good time to try and observe the rings. It is however a good time to try and observe the smaller satellites and details on the planet’s surface with the rings out of the picture.
Uranus can be found in Aquarius and is now past its best for observation. At the start of the month, it sets at 22:35. By month’s end it sets at 20:45. It is just within naked eye visibility and maintains its brightness at mag +5.9 during the month. It had a close encounter with Venus (See above).
Neptune can be found in Capricornus and is being lost to the evening twilight this month. At the start of the month, it sets at 20:00 and by month’s end it sets at 18:05. It maintains its brightness at mag +8.0 during the month.
The Moon
The first quarter moon is on the 4th with the full moon on the 11th. The last quarter moon is on the 18th with the new moon on the 26th. January’s full moon will be the closest of 2009, less than 1,000 kilometres further away than December 2008’s full moon which was the closest for 15 years.
On the evening of the 1st, a 23% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies three degrees to the North of Venus.
On the evening of the 2nd, a 32% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies four degrees to the North-East of Uranus.
On the evening of the 7th, a 83% illuminated waxing gibbous moon occults M45 - The Pleiades. The event is best observed between 17:00 and 19:00.
On the evening of the 9th, a 97% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies close to M35 in Gemini.
On the morning of the 12th, a 98% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies close to M44 - The Beehive Cluster in Cancer.
On the evening of the 14th, the 82% illuminated waning gibbous moon rises to the South of Saturn at around 21:45 and on the evening of the 15th/morning of the 16th, a 70% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies to the South-East of the planet.
On the morning of the 22nd, a 14% illuminated waning crescent moon can be seen low in the South-East before sunrise. It rises at 06:30.
On the evening of the 27th, a 2% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies close to the North of Neptune just after sunset low in the South-West.
On the evening of the 30th, a 18% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies four degrees to the North of Venus. The pair will be even closer during daylight hours - less than two degrees. At roughly 11:00, they will be in the East-South-East at a height of eighteen degrees above the horizon. PLEASE DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN if you try and observe this.
Meteors
The ZHR or Zenithal Hourly Rate is the number of meteors an observer would see in one hour under a clear, dark sky with a limiting apparent magnitude of 6.5 and if the radiant of the shower were in the zenith. The rate that can effectively be seen is nearly always lower and decreases as the radiant is closer to the horizon. The Zenith is the overhead point in the sky for an observer. The radiant is the point in the sky, from which (to a planetary observer) meteors appear to originate, i.e. the Perseids, for example, are meteors which appear to come from a point within the constellation of Perseus. A fireball is defined by the International Astronomical Union as a meteor brighter than any of the planets, i.e. magnitude -4 or brighter. The International Meteor Organisation alternatively defines it as a meteor which would have a magnitude of -3 or brighter at the zenith.
There are seven showers this month. The major shower of the month is the Quadrantids. They peak on the 3rd at around midday, with the shower exhibiting a short, sharp peak. This is obviously not suitable for us, but some good activity may be observed in the pre-dawn hours on the morning of the 3rd. The ZHR is over 100 at the peak, so expect to see only a fraction of that. The radiant is in Bootes which rises around midnight and lunar conditions are excellent for this shower with a 34% illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at 23:10 on the evening of the 2nd. The meteors can be yellow or blue in colour and are of average speed with averages values of 26 miles/second. This compares with 22 miles/second for the Geminids and 37 miles/second for the Perseids.
There are also six minor showers this month.
These are:
The Zeta Aurigids which peak on the 1st;
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 Zeta Aurigids get excellent conditions with the 25% illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at 21:55 on the evening of the 1st. The Rho Geminids suffer badly with a 90% + illuminated waxing gibbous present for both nights near to Gemini. The January Bootids are best observed earlier rather later in the evening with a waning gibbous moon rising in the hours after midnight on the nights of the peak period. The Delta Cancrids are also best observed earlier rather later in the evening with a 51% illuminated waning gibbous moon rising at 01:40 on the morning of the 18th. The January Draconids may suffer some interference with a waning gibbous moon present in the sky during its peak period, although as the period progresses the moon rises later in the night. The Alpha Leonids suffer little or no lunar interference.
Comets
Comet 2006 W3 Christensen moves past Lacerta and heads in a Northerly direction towards Cygnus during the month. It is circumpolar and is predicted to remain around mag +10 for the month with long term predictions of mag +8 by the summer months.
Comet 210P/2008 X4 Christensen is a morning comet and can be observed in Ophiuchus in the pre-dawn hours low in the East. It is currently estimated at mag +8 with it predicted to fade gradually. It travels in a North-Westerly direction during the month and observation of the comet will be best at month’s end as it rises out of the dawn twilight.
Comet/2008 A1 (McNaught) is currently estimated at mag +9 with it predicted to fade during the month. During January it moves in a North-Westerly direction and can be located in Hercules. It is visible both in the early evening after sunset low in the West and in the early morning before sunrise low in the East. It becomes more of a morning comet as the month progresses.
Comet/2007 N3 (Lulin) is currently estimated at mag +7 with it predicted to brighten further during the month. Predictions are for a peak brightness of mag +4 in February. It is a morning comet and moves away from Scorpius into Libra, travelling in a North-Westerly direction during the month. Observation of the comet will be best at month’s end as it rises out of the dawn twilight.
Comet 144P/Kushida is currently estimated at mag +11 with it predicted to maintain similar brightness during the month. It can be located in Taurus, moving through the constellation in an Easterly direction. It passes within 1 degree of the Hyades star cluster on the morning of the 30th at around 03:00.
Deep Sky
On the deep sky front this month, galaxies M81 and M82 can be observed in Ursa Major. In Andromeda, M31 – The Andromeda galaxy can be observed along with its satellite galaxies M32 and M110. In Perseus, there is the open cluster M34 and the excellent Double Cluster – NGC 869 and 884. In Triangulum, there is the galaxy M33. In Auriga there are three open clusters M36, M37 and M38 and also M35 in Gemini. Taurus has the excellent Pleiades – M45, the Hyades and also M1 – The Crab Nebula. In Orion there is M42 – The Great Orion Nebula and also NGC 1980 and 1981.In Canis Major there is the open cluster M41. Another open cluster M50 can be found in Monoceros and also Cancer has its open clusters with M44 – The Beehive Cluster and M67.
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. When trying to observe either of these phenomena, it is best to do so when the moon is below the horizon. If you are observing them when the moon has risen, restrict your efforts to the period 4 days either side of the new moon as otherwise the moonlight will be sufficient to drown them out.
Finally check out www.heavens-above.com for the latest passes of the International Space Station and satellites, details of Space Shuttle launches and passes and for details of Iridium Flare activity.
Clear Skies
Neill McKeown
Information Sources Used
www.skyviewcafe.com - Used for the Sun and Planets section. Also partly used for the Moon Section
Sky at Night Magazine Observing Guide and Interactive Planetarium
www.aerith.net and cometchasing.skyhound.com – Used for the Comet Section for information and finder charts
www.imo.net – Used in the Meteor section
BAA Handbook
Stardust Magazine
Sky Guide 2009 – South Dublin Astronomical Society
(Please note all times are UT and are based on an observing location of Belfast and covers the month of January)
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
On the evening of the 1st, Mercury and Jupiter lie less than two degrees apart low in the South-West. Jupiter lies to the West of Mercury. You should start looking half-an-hour after sunset. In the days that follow, the distance between them increases.
On the evening of the 22nd, Venus lies just over a degree to the North of Uranus. Look out for the distance between the two close as this date approaches and also how the distance increases after the date. On the evening of the 29th, an 11% illuminated waxing crescent moon completes a nice scene with the two planets. It lies to the North-West of Uranus and to the West of Venus.
Mercury is well placed for observation at the start of the month. It sets over an hour after the Sun, low in the South-West on the 1st at 17:40 and is mag -0.7. It is at greatest eastern elongation on the 4th and is visible until the 10th. After this it is lost to the Sun’s glare and is at inferior conjunction on the 20th. By month’s end, it has become a morning planet, rising over an hour before the Sun at 07:05, low in the South-East and is mag +0.8.
Venus is well placed for observation in the West after sunset this month. At the start of the month it sets at 20:30 and by month’s end; sets at 21:35. It brightens from mag -4.3 to mag -4.5 during the month.
Mars is poorly placed for observation this month.
Jupiter is lost to the sun’s glare this month. At the start of the month, it sets over an hour after the sun at 17:40 and is mag -1.9. It has a close encounter with Mercury (See above). It is not visible beyond mid-month and is at conjunction on the 24th.
Saturn can be located in Leo this month. It rises at 22:40 at the start of the month and by month’s end; it rises at 20:35. It brightens from mag +0.9 to mag +0.7 during the month. With the planet’s ring plane almost edge on, this is not a good time to try and observe the rings. It is however a good time to try and observe the smaller satellites and details on the planet’s surface with the rings out of the picture.
Uranus can be found in Aquarius and is now past its best for observation. At the start of the month, it sets at 22:35. By month’s end it sets at 20:45. It is just within naked eye visibility and maintains its brightness at mag +5.9 during the month. It had a close encounter with Venus (See above).
Neptune can be found in Capricornus and is being lost to the evening twilight this month. At the start of the month, it sets at 20:00 and by month’s end it sets at 18:05. It maintains its brightness at mag +8.0 during the month.
The Moon
The first quarter moon is on the 4th with the full moon on the 11th. The last quarter moon is on the 18th with the new moon on the 26th. January’s full moon will be the closest of 2009, less than 1,000 kilometres further away than December 2008’s full moon which was the closest for 15 years.
On the evening of the 1st, a 23% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies three degrees to the North of Venus.
On the evening of the 2nd, a 32% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies four degrees to the North-East of Uranus.
On the evening of the 7th, a 83% illuminated waxing gibbous moon occults M45 - The Pleiades. The event is best observed between 17:00 and 19:00.
On the evening of the 9th, a 97% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies close to M35 in Gemini.
On the morning of the 12th, a 98% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies close to M44 - The Beehive Cluster in Cancer.
On the evening of the 14th, the 82% illuminated waning gibbous moon rises to the South of Saturn at around 21:45 and on the evening of the 15th/morning of the 16th, a 70% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies to the South-East of the planet.
On the morning of the 22nd, a 14% illuminated waning crescent moon can be seen low in the South-East before sunrise. It rises at 06:30.
On the evening of the 27th, a 2% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies close to the North of Neptune just after sunset low in the South-West.
On the evening of the 30th, a 18% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies four degrees to the North of Venus. The pair will be even closer during daylight hours - less than two degrees. At roughly 11:00, they will be in the East-South-East at a height of eighteen degrees above the horizon. PLEASE DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN if you try and observe this.
Meteors
The ZHR or Zenithal Hourly Rate is the number of meteors an observer would see in one hour under a clear, dark sky with a limiting apparent magnitude of 6.5 and if the radiant of the shower were in the zenith. The rate that can effectively be seen is nearly always lower and decreases as the radiant is closer to the horizon. The Zenith is the overhead point in the sky for an observer. The radiant is the point in the sky, from which (to a planetary observer) meteors appear to originate, i.e. the Perseids, for example, are meteors which appear to come from a point within the constellation of Perseus. A fireball is defined by the International Astronomical Union as a meteor brighter than any of the planets, i.e. magnitude -4 or brighter. The International Meteor Organisation alternatively defines it as a meteor which would have a magnitude of -3 or brighter at the zenith.
There are seven showers this month. The major shower of the month is the Quadrantids. They peak on the 3rd at around midday, with the shower exhibiting a short, sharp peak. This is obviously not suitable for us, but some good activity may be observed in the pre-dawn hours on the morning of the 3rd. The ZHR is over 100 at the peak, so expect to see only a fraction of that. The radiant is in Bootes which rises around midnight and lunar conditions are excellent for this shower with a 34% illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at 23:10 on the evening of the 2nd. The meteors can be yellow or blue in colour and are of average speed with averages values of 26 miles/second. This compares with 22 miles/second for the Geminids and 37 miles/second for the Perseids.
There are also six minor showers this month.
These are:
The Zeta Aurigids which peak on the 1st;
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 Zeta Aurigids get excellent conditions with the 25% illuminated waxing crescent moon setting at 21:55 on the evening of the 1st. The Rho Geminids suffer badly with a 90% + illuminated waxing gibbous present for both nights near to Gemini. The January Bootids are best observed earlier rather later in the evening with a waning gibbous moon rising in the hours after midnight on the nights of the peak period. The Delta Cancrids are also best observed earlier rather later in the evening with a 51% illuminated waning gibbous moon rising at 01:40 on the morning of the 18th. The January Draconids may suffer some interference with a waning gibbous moon present in the sky during its peak period, although as the period progresses the moon rises later in the night. The Alpha Leonids suffer little or no lunar interference.
Comets
Comet 2006 W3 Christensen moves past Lacerta and heads in a Northerly direction towards Cygnus during the month. It is circumpolar and is predicted to remain around mag +10 for the month with long term predictions of mag +8 by the summer months.
Comet 210P/2008 X4 Christensen is a morning comet and can be observed in Ophiuchus in the pre-dawn hours low in the East. It is currently estimated at mag +8 with it predicted to fade gradually. It travels in a North-Westerly direction during the month and observation of the comet will be best at month’s end as it rises out of the dawn twilight.
Comet/2008 A1 (McNaught) is currently estimated at mag +9 with it predicted to fade during the month. During January it moves in a North-Westerly direction and can be located in Hercules. It is visible both in the early evening after sunset low in the West and in the early morning before sunrise low in the East. It becomes more of a morning comet as the month progresses.
Comet/2007 N3 (Lulin) is currently estimated at mag +7 with it predicted to brighten further during the month. Predictions are for a peak brightness of mag +4 in February. It is a morning comet and moves away from Scorpius into Libra, travelling in a North-Westerly direction during the month. Observation of the comet will be best at month’s end as it rises out of the dawn twilight.
Comet 144P/Kushida is currently estimated at mag +11 with it predicted to maintain similar brightness during the month. It can be located in Taurus, moving through the constellation in an Easterly direction. It passes within 1 degree of the Hyades star cluster on the morning of the 30th at around 03:00.
Deep Sky
On the deep sky front this month, galaxies M81 and M82 can be observed in Ursa Major. In Andromeda, M31 – The Andromeda galaxy can be observed along with its satellite galaxies M32 and M110. In Perseus, there is the open cluster M34 and the excellent Double Cluster – NGC 869 and 884. In Triangulum, there is the galaxy M33. In Auriga there are three open clusters M36, M37 and M38 and also M35 in Gemini. Taurus has the excellent Pleiades – M45, the Hyades and also M1 – The Crab Nebula. In Orion there is M42 – The Great Orion Nebula and also NGC 1980 and 1981.In Canis Major there is the open cluster M41. Another open cluster M50 can be found in Monoceros and also Cancer has its open clusters with M44 – The Beehive Cluster and M67.
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. When trying to observe either of these phenomena, it is best to do so when the moon is below the horizon. If you are observing them when the moon has risen, restrict your efforts to the period 4 days either side of the new moon as otherwise the moonlight will be sufficient to drown them out.
Finally check out www.heavens-above.com for the latest passes of the International Space Station and satellites, details of Space Shuttle launches and passes and for details of Iridium Flare activity.
Clear Skies
Neill McKeown
Information Sources Used
www.skyviewcafe.com - Used for the Sun and Planets section. Also partly used for the Moon Section
Sky at Night Magazine Observing Guide and Interactive Planetarium
www.aerith.net and cometchasing.skyhound.com – Used for the Comet Section for information and finder charts
www.imo.net – Used in the Meteor section
BAA Handbook
Stardust Magazine
Sky Guide 2009 – South Dublin Astronomical Society
Last edit: 15 years 11 months ago by Neill.
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