Sky Guide --- January
Jan 3 First quarter moon
Jan 4 Quadrantids meteor peak (details below). Evening of Jan 3 / early morning of Jan 4.
Jan 5 Earth at perihelion (closest to the Sun).
Jan 9 NASTRO Meeting
Lunar occultation of star Tejat (mu Geminorum, mag. +2.9). 1712UT - 1751UT.
Jan 10 Full moon
Penumbral lunar eclipse (details below)
Mercury superior conjunction
Jan 11 Algol (beta Persei) at minimum brightness (4am).
Jan 13 Pluto conjunction with Sun
Saturn conjunction with Sun
Jan 14 Algol (beta Persei) at minimum brightness (1am).
Jan 16 Algol (beta Persei) at minimum brightness (10pm).
Jan 17 Last quarter moon
Jan 19 Algol (beta Persei) at minimum brightness (7pm).
Jan 21 Moon near Mars (morning sky)
Asteroid (5) Astraea at opposition (mag. +8.9, in Cancer)
Jan 23 Moon near Jupiter (morning sky / difficult to observe)
Jan 24 New moon
Jan 27 Venus conjunction with Neptune. Evening sky. Telescope required.
Jan 28 Moon near Venus (evening sky / easy to see).
Jan 30 NASTRO Meeting
Jan 4 Quadrantids meteor peak (details below). Evening of Jan 3 / early morning of Jan 4.
Jan 5 Earth at perihelion (closest to the Sun).
Jan 9 NASTRO Meeting
Lunar occultation of star Tejat (mu Geminorum, mag. +2.9). 1712UT - 1751UT.
Jan 10 Full moon
Penumbral lunar eclipse (details below)
Mercury superior conjunction
Jan 11 Algol (beta Persei) at minimum brightness (4am).
Jan 13 Pluto conjunction with Sun
Saturn conjunction with Sun
Jan 14 Algol (beta Persei) at minimum brightness (1am).
Jan 16 Algol (beta Persei) at minimum brightness (10pm).
Jan 17 Last quarter moon
Jan 19 Algol (beta Persei) at minimum brightness (7pm).
Jan 21 Moon near Mars (morning sky)
Asteroid (5) Astraea at opposition (mag. +8.9, in Cancer)
Jan 23 Moon near Jupiter (morning sky / difficult to observe)
Jan 24 New moon
Jan 27 Venus conjunction with Neptune. Evening sky. Telescope required.
Jan 28 Moon near Venus (evening sky / easy to see).
Jan 30 NASTRO Meeting
Star chart
The following chart shows the sky mid-month at 9pm. Click and drag the chart to look around the sky!
Orion dominates the southern aspect of the sky by late evening. Follow the 3 Belt stars down to find Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Follow the Belt up to orange Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the Bull. A little further is the prominent open cluster known as the Pleiades (M 45, or Seven Sisters). The bright star Capella, in Auriga, is nearly overhead. The Milky Way runs through Auriga, between Taurus and Gemini and down past Orion towards Sirius. There are many notable open clusters along this stretch of the Milky Way even though it doesn't look that prominent to the eye! For example: M 35 (in Gemini), M 36, M 37 and M 38 (in Auriga) and M 50 (in Monoceros) and M 41 (in Canis Major).
Planets
Generated with Coelix Lite software (www.ngc7000.com/en/index.htm)
Mercury returns to the evening sky towards the end of the month. Look for it low above the southwest horizon about 40 minutes after sunset.
Venus is visible immediately after sunset over the southwest horizon. It is moving among the stars of Aquarius and climbing a little higher each evening. By the end of the month it sets about 4 hours after sunset. Magnitude -4.0 and brightening slowly. Telescopes show a gibbous disk decreasing from 82% to 74% illuminated and measuring about 14 arcseconds this month. Venus is just 4 arcminutes from Neptune on January 27th. Spot the more distant planet in the same field of view!
Mars is visible as a moderately bright star in the morning sky before sunrise. Look for it above the southern horizon; but don't confuse it for the bright star Antares in Scorpius. Antares is a little brighter and also red coloured! In fact the name Antares means "rival of Mars"! Mars is magnitude +1.5 and brightening slowly as it continues to approach Earth. The angular size is just under 5 arcseconds.
Jupiter passed conjunction with the Sun in December and remains unobservable this month. It will emerge in the morning sky next month.
Saturn passes through solar conjunction this month and is not observable.
Uranus is an evening object in the constellation Aries. It is well-placed for observing during the early part of the evening and shining a magnitude +5.8. Binoculars will show the planet easily if you know where to look. The planet shows a tiny blue-green disk through telescopes measuring just 3 arcseconds.
Neptune is an evening sky object in the constellation Aquarius. Although visible with telescopes during the early part of the evening - the planet is now past its best viewing until later in the year. Magnitude +7.9 and showing a tiny disk measuring 2 arcseconds. It will be easy to identify on January 27th when it is just 4 arcminutes from Venus and visible in the same field of view through a telescope.
Hours of darkness
If you're looking for those nights where twilight and moonlight won't interfere with your imaging - then here are the hours of darkness for this month. Generated with Skymap Pro 9.
Hours of Darkness: 01 Jan 2020 to 31 Jan 2020
Date Sunset Twilight Darkness Twilight Sunrise
---- ------ -------- -------- -------- -------
Wed 01 Jan 20 15:46 18:04 22:46 - 06:15 06:15 08:32
Thu 02 Jan 20 15:47 18:05 23:56 - 06:15 06:15 08:32
Fri 03 Jan 20 15:48 18:06 01:06 - 06:14 06:14 08:32
Sat 04 Jan 20 15:50 18:07 02:18 - 06:14 06:14 08:31
Sun 05 Jan 20 15:51 18:08 03:31 - 06:14 06:14 08:31
Mon 06 Jan 20 15:52 18:09 04:47 - 06:14 06:14 08:30
Tue 07 Jan 20 15:54 18:10 06:03 - 06:14 06:14 08:30
Wed 08 Jan 20 15:55 18:12 None 06:13 08:29
Thu 09 Jan 20 15:57 18:13 None 06:13 08:28
Fri 10 Jan 20 15:58 18:14 None 06:12 08:28
Sat 11 Jan 20 16:00 18:15 None 06:12 08:27
Sun 12 Jan 20 16:02 18:17 None 06:11 08:26
Mon 13 Jan 20 16:03 18:18 18:18 - 19:37 06:11 08:25
Tue 14 Jan 20 16:05 18:19 18:19 - 21:06 06:10 08:24
Wed 15 Jan 20 16:07 18:21 18:21 - 22:33 06:09 08:23
Thu 16 Jan 20 16:09 18:22 18:22 - 23:58 06:09 08:22
Fri 17 Jan 20 16:11 18:24 18:24 - 01:22 06:08 08:20
Sat 18 Jan 20 16:12 18:25 18:25 - 02:46 06:07 08:19
Sun 19 Jan 20 16:14 18:27 18:27 - 04:08 06:06 08:18
Mon 20 Jan 20 16:16 18:28 18:28 - 05:26 06:05 08:16
Tue 21 Jan 20 16:18 18:30 18:30 - 06:04 06:04 08:15
Wed 22 Jan 20 16:20 18:31 18:31 - 06:03 06:03 08:14
Thu 23 Jan 20 16:22 18:33 18:33 - 06:02 06:02 08:12
Fri 24 Jan 20 16:24 18:34 18:34 - 06:01 06:01 08:11
Sat 25 Jan 20 16:26 18:36 18:36 - 06:00 06:00 08:09
Sun 26 Jan 20 16:28 18:38 18:38 - 05:58 05:58 08:08
Mon 27 Jan 20 16:30 18:39 19:19 - 05:57 05:57 08:06
Tue 28 Jan 20 16:32 18:41 20:31 - 05:56 05:56 08:04
Wed 29 Jan 20 16:34 18:43 21:41 - 05:55 05:55 08:02
Thu 30 Jan 20 16:36 18:44 22:50 - 05:53 05:53 08:01
Fri 31 Jan 20 16:39 18:46 00:00 - 05:52 05:52 07:59
Date Sunset Twilight Darkness Twilight Sunrise
---- ------ -------- -------- -------- -------
Wed 01 Jan 20 15:46 18:04 22:46 - 06:15 06:15 08:32
Thu 02 Jan 20 15:47 18:05 23:56 - 06:15 06:15 08:32
Fri 03 Jan 20 15:48 18:06 01:06 - 06:14 06:14 08:32
Sat 04 Jan 20 15:50 18:07 02:18 - 06:14 06:14 08:31
Sun 05 Jan 20 15:51 18:08 03:31 - 06:14 06:14 08:31
Mon 06 Jan 20 15:52 18:09 04:47 - 06:14 06:14 08:30
Tue 07 Jan 20 15:54 18:10 06:03 - 06:14 06:14 08:30
Wed 08 Jan 20 15:55 18:12 None 06:13 08:29
Thu 09 Jan 20 15:57 18:13 None 06:13 08:28
Fri 10 Jan 20 15:58 18:14 None 06:12 08:28
Sat 11 Jan 20 16:00 18:15 None 06:12 08:27
Sun 12 Jan 20 16:02 18:17 None 06:11 08:26
Mon 13 Jan 20 16:03 18:18 18:18 - 19:37 06:11 08:25
Tue 14 Jan 20 16:05 18:19 18:19 - 21:06 06:10 08:24
Wed 15 Jan 20 16:07 18:21 18:21 - 22:33 06:09 08:23
Thu 16 Jan 20 16:09 18:22 18:22 - 23:58 06:09 08:22
Fri 17 Jan 20 16:11 18:24 18:24 - 01:22 06:08 08:20
Sat 18 Jan 20 16:12 18:25 18:25 - 02:46 06:07 08:19
Sun 19 Jan 20 16:14 18:27 18:27 - 04:08 06:06 08:18
Mon 20 Jan 20 16:16 18:28 18:28 - 05:26 06:05 08:16
Tue 21 Jan 20 16:18 18:30 18:30 - 06:04 06:04 08:15
Wed 22 Jan 20 16:20 18:31 18:31 - 06:03 06:03 08:14
Thu 23 Jan 20 16:22 18:33 18:33 - 06:02 06:02 08:12
Fri 24 Jan 20 16:24 18:34 18:34 - 06:01 06:01 08:11
Sat 25 Jan 20 16:26 18:36 18:36 - 06:00 06:00 08:09
Sun 26 Jan 20 16:28 18:38 18:38 - 05:58 05:58 08:08
Mon 27 Jan 20 16:30 18:39 19:19 - 05:57 05:57 08:06
Tue 28 Jan 20 16:32 18:41 20:31 - 05:56 05:56 08:04
Wed 29 Jan 20 16:34 18:43 21:41 - 05:55 05:55 08:02
Thu 30 Jan 20 16:36 18:44 22:50 - 05:53 05:53 08:01
Fri 31 Jan 20 16:39 18:46 00:00 - 05:52 05:52 07:59
Quadrantid meteor shower (Jan 3/4)
The Quadrantids are one of the best meteor showers of the year. They are also one of the most difficult to observe; a narrow peak lasting just a few hours in a season of typically bad weather!
The Quadrantids are named after a now defunct constellation - the Mural Quadrant. The radiant lies at the junction of the modern constellations Bootes, Hercules and Ursa Major. The radiant is low in the northeast before midnight and climbs high in the southern sky by daybreak. The best time to observe the shower is in the hours before dawn.
Radiant of the Quadrantid shower. It is high over the eastern horizon at 5am.
The hourly rate, under ideal circumstances, may exceed 100 per hour at peak. This year the first quarter moon will not interfere if you're looking for meteors after 1am.
The meteors from the shower originate from the near Earth object 2003 EH1. The orbits are shown above. (Click/drag/pinch to examine the orbit from a different view). 2003 EH1 may be an extinct comet, or an unusual new type of object - a rock comet!
Penumbral lunar eclipse (Jan 10)
The moon passes through the lighter, penumbra of the Earth's shadow on the evening of January 10th. Penumbral eclipses are the least dramatic kind! However, a slight darkening of the southern part of the moon should be obvious for the hour either side of mid-eclipse. Moonrise is at 3.35pm in Northumberland. The circumstances for the eclipse are as follows:
Moon enters penumbra: 5.05pm
Penumbra first visible: about 5.50pm
Mid eclipse: 7.12pm
Penumbra last visible: about 8.30pm
Moon leaves penumbra: 9.14pm
Moon enters penumbra: 5.05pm
Penumbra first visible: about 5.50pm
Mid eclipse: 7.12pm
Penumbra last visible: about 8.30pm
Moon leaves penumbra: 9.14pm
The picture below shows the passage of the moon through the shadow. At mid-eclipse the shadow covers 92% of the moon's diameter. The eclipse lasts just over 4 hours. The moon is in the constellation Gemini.
