Posts Tagged ‘January night sky’

The Night Sky for January 2012

Interesting things that Bellatrix Orionis is hoping to observe in the night sky this month.

Visual guide from Hubble

Planets

	Mercury – can be found in the constellation of Ophiuchus and is at magnitude -0.3. It is best viewed on Sunday 1 January at 0730UT.
Source: Hubblesite.org	Venus – is best viewed on Tuesday 1 January at 1800UT and can be found in the constellation of Aquarius.
Source: Hubblesite.org	Mars – Can be found in the constellation of Leo at the beginning of the month and moves into Virgo towards the end. It is best placed to view on Tuesday 31 January at 0300UT.
Source: Hubblesite.org	Jupiter – Can be found in the constellations of Aries and Pisces. It's best placed to view on Sunday 1 January at 1920UT.
Source: Hubblesite.org	Saturn – Is in the constellation of Virgo and is best placed to view on Tuesday 31 January at 0520UT.
Source: Hubblesite.org	Uranus – Is best placed to view on Sunday 1 January at 1800UT and can be found in the constellation of Pisces.
Source: Hubblesite.org	Neptune – Is best placed to view on Sunday 1 January at 1800UT and can be found in the constellation of Aquarius.

Dwarf Planets

Pluto – Is in the constellation of Sagittarius.

Ceres – Is in the constellation of Aquarius.

Eris – Can be found in the Constellation of Cetus during the morning is only visible with a CCD camera.

Vesta – Is in the the constellation of Aquarius.

Meteor Showers and Comets

Quadrantids- The Quadrantid meteor shower is active from 28 December to 12 January. This year it's expected to peak is on 4 January. The radiant (point where the meteors appear to start from) is in the north of the constellation Boötes almost in Draco. The name of the shower comes from the ancient constellation of Quadrans Muralis (the wall quadrant). The maximum rate of meteors falling for this shower can be as high as 12 per hour.

P/006 T1 Levy is moving eastward from Pegasus through Pisces, Cetus and into Eridanus during the month

C/2009 P1 Garradd is a morning object in the constellation of Hercules.

Monthly Sky Challenge

Sunday 1 January

M29, an open cluster in Cygnus and is at visual magnitude +6.59.

First quarter Moon.

Monday 2 January

See if you can locate the variable double star, Delta Cephei which has a visual magnitude of

4.07.

Tuesday 3 January

NGC 6960, the Western Veil Nebula can be found in the constellation of Cygnus. It is at visual magnitude +5.00 and is one part of a supernova explosion which happened approximately 5,000 to 8,000 years ago.

Wednesday 4 January

IC 4756 is an open cluster in the constellation of Serpens and is at visual magnitude +4.59.

Thursday 5 January

M10 a globular cluster in Ophiuchus with a visual magnitude of +6.59.

Friday 6 January

HIP 87937, Barnard's Star is a variable star in Ophiuchus with a visual magnitude of +9.53 and is best viewed in the early morning.

Saturday 7 January

M44, the Beehive Cluster is an open cluster in Cancer with a visual magnitude of +3.09 and is visible to the naked eye.

Sunday 8 January

M65 is a spiral galaxy in Leo with a visual magnitude of +9.22. It's possible to view this with binoculars.

Monday 9 January

M84 and M86, make up Markarian's Chain in Virgo. M84 is an elliptical galaxy with a visual magnitude of +9.10. M86 is also an elliptical galaxy with a visual magnitude of +8.89.

Full Moon

Tuesday 10 January

NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy in Coma Berenices with a visual magnitude of +9.22. This is an edge on spiral galaxy.

Wednesday 11 January

M3 is a globular cluster in Canes Venatici with a visual magnitude of +6.9. Apparently this is visible to the naked eye if you have a dark site.

Thursday 12 January

M92 is a globular cluster in Hercules with a visual magnitude of +6.44.

Friday 13 January

See if you can locate the double star Zeta 1 Cancri, also known as Tegmen. It's visual magnitude is

6.01 and +5.62.

Saturday 14 January

M5, a globular cluster in Serpens with a visual magnitude of +5.65. Best observed in the early morning.

Sunday 15 January

Alpha Cygni, also known as Deneb in the constellation of Cygnus is a variable double with visual magnitudes of +1.33 and +11.73

Monday 16 January

NGC 869 is an open cluster in the constellation Perseus with a visual magnitude of +5.33. The star cluster marks the scimitar that Perseus used to decapitate Medusa.

Last quarter Moon.

Tuesday 17 January

NGC 2261 also known as Hubble's Variable Nebula. It's a bright nebula in the constellation of Monoceros.

Wednesday 18 January

Omicron Ceti, Mira is a long period pulsating variable double star in Cetus with visual magnitudes of +9.55 and +4.9. It's probably the best know of it's type.

Thursday 19 January

M77 is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Cetus with a visual magnitude of +9.00. The active nuclear of the galaxy corresponds with the radio source Cetus A.

Friday 20 January

NGC 1535 is a planetary nebula in Eridanus with a visual magnitude of +9.39. It's also sometimes known as Cleopatra's Eye.

Saturday 21 January

Beta Orionis, Rigel is a variable double star in the constellation of Orion. It has visual magnitudes of +0.28 and +10.38.

Sunday 22 January

Melotte 25, the Hyades in Taurus is an open cluster with a visual magnitude of +0.50 and it's possible to see it with the naked eye.

Monday 23 January

M38, the Starfish Cluster in Auriga is an open cluster with a visual magnitude of +6.40.

New Moon.

Tuesday 24 January

Alpha Orionis, Betelgeuse is a variable double star in Orion with visual magnitudes of +0.56 and +14.57.

Wednesday 25 January

NGC 2244 is an open cluster in Monoceros with a visual magnitude of +4.80.

Thursday 26 January

Alpha Canis Majoris, Sirius is a double star in Canis Major with magnitudes of -1.44 and +8.50.

Friday 27 January

NGC 2392, also known as the Eskimo Nebula is a planetary nebula in Gemini with a visual magnitude of +9.19. It's also known as the Clown Face Nebula.

Saturday 28 January

Alpha Gemininorum, Castor is a double star in the constellation Gemini with visual magnitudes of +2.88 and +1.98.

Sunday 29 January

M93 is an open cluster in Puppis with a visual magnitude of +6.19.

Monday 30 January

Beta Geminorum, Pollux is a double star in Gemini with visual magnitudes of +1.22 and +13.82

Tuesday 31 January

M101 is a spiral galaxy in Ursa Major with a visual magnitude of 7.92.

Night Sky for January 2010

Visual guide from Hubble Site.

Friday 1 January

The variable star Algol dips to minimum brightness at 20:06UT.

Comet Siding Spring should appear at its brightest.

Saturn’s largest moon Titan reappears from eclipse at 23:44UT.

Jupiter can be seen near Neptune in the south west during the evening and is visible through binoculars.

Saturday 2 January

The Moon can be seen near Mars during the early evening.

Sunday 3 January

The Earth is at Perihelion, the closest point in its orbit to the Sun (which is only 147 million km away).

The annual Quadrantid Meteor shower reaches it’s peak at around 18:00UT. Unfortunately the Moon rises at 20:00 which will make observing difficult.

Monday 4 January

The Moon can be found near Regulus during the early morning.

Tuesday 5 January

81P/Wild lies just over a degree to the south of Saturn.

The constellation Cassiopeia will be directly overhead at 19:00UT.

Wednesday 6 January

The Moon is close to Saturn and can be seen due south at 05:00UT.

Thursday 7 January

The last quarter Moon can be seen in the east after midnight.

Friday 8 January

The Moon can be found below Spica in in the constellation of Virgo during the morning.

Saturday 9 January

The bright star Capella can be found overhead at 22:00UT.

Sunday 10 January

Orion can be found due south at 22:00UT.

Monday 11 January

The waning crescent Moon can be seen close to the super-giant Antares, the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius at 07:00UT.

Tuesday 12 January

The Triangulum Galaxy can be seen at 19:00UT, binoculars or a telescope will be needed.

Wednesday 13 January

The thin waning crescent of the Moon lies about 7° south of the planet Mercury which is at magnitude +1.0. This will be visible just before sunrise in the south east.

The constellation Cetus can be seen in the south between 18:00 and 19:00UT.

Thursday 14 January

Uranus can be seen to the south west with the naked eye, providing you are at a dark site.

Friday 15 January

New Moon.

The Pleiades cluster can be seen high in the sky at 20:00UT. If you have a good view see if you can spot the ‘lost’ Pleiade.

Saturday 16 January

The variable star Epsilon Aurigae is now reaching the deepest part of its 27 year eclipse cycle.

A slim crescent Moon can be seen in the east after sunset.

Sunday 17 January

The constellation Aries can be seen in the south during the early evening.

Monday 18 January

The crescent Moon can be seen above Jupiter at 18:00UT.

Tuesday 19 January

The constellation Cygnus can be found low in the western sky at 19:00UT.

Wednesday 20 January

A thick crescent Moon can be seen close to the Circlet of Pisces.

Thursday 21 January

The variable star Algol (an eclipsing binary) is at minimum tonight at 21:48UT.

Friday 22 January

Why not have a look at the Bradley Mountains on the Moon tonight.

Saturday 23 January

The first quarter of the Moon can be seen in the constellation of Aries.

Sunday 24 January

Mercury is low in the sky before dawn to the south west.

Monday 25 January

The waxing gibbous Moon can be found to the left of the Pleiades Open Cluster and above the Hyades Open Cluster.

Tuesday 26 January

Saturn can be found in the constellation of Virgo in the east during the late evening.

Wednesday 27 January

Mercury is at its greatest western elongation and is visible in the morning sky.

The star Sirius can be found low in the sky to the south at 22:00UT.

Thursday 28 January

The Moon occults the star Delta Geminarum during the early evening.

Friday 29 January

Mars can be found in constellation of Cancer in the south east and is visible all evening. This is one of the best times to view Mars.

Saturday 30 January

Full Moon. This is the brightest and biggest Moon of the year.

The Moon is also at at it’s perigee (closest point to the Earth).

The minor planet Pallas can be seen in the south east close to the globular cluster M5 during the early morning.

Sunday 31 January

The Moon occults the star Omicron Leonis during the early morning.

Comet 157P/Tritton (mag +11.9) can be found 0.5° to the south of the spiral galaxy M74 (mag +9.8) in the constellation of Pisces.