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January 2010 Observing Guide

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14 years 3 months ago - 14 years 3 months ago #82799 by Neill
January 2010 Observing Guide was created by Neill
Hi all,

Obs guide for Jan below, Happy New Year and hopefully we will see the eclipse on Thu night (ok, its only a partial eclipse, better than nothing)

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

Mercury is at inferior conjunction on the 4th and is not visible at the start of the month. However it is at greatest western elongation on the 27th and is visible from mid-month onwards low in the East in the morning skies. On the 15th, it rises at 07:10 with a mag of +0.4, with sunrise at 08:35. By the 27th, it rises at 07:05 with a mag of -0.2, with sunrise at 08:20. By month’s end, it rises at 07:10 with a similar mag to the 27th, the sun rises at 08:15.

Venus is at superior conjunction on the 11th and is not visible this month. However over the coming months, it will become prominent in the evening sky as it moves away from the sun.

Mars is at opposition on the 29th and thus is very well placed for observation as an evening object. At the start of the month, it rises at 19:10 and by the month’s end, it rises during daylight hours. It brightens during the month from mag -0.8 to mag -1.3. It moves out of Leo into Cancer during the month and by month’s end, sits to the North of M44 – The Beehive Cluster.

Jupiter is slowly sinking into the evening twilight but is still visible in the early evening. It moves out of Capricornus into Aquarius during the month. It sets at 20:20 at the start of the month and at 19:00 by month’s end. It fades during the month from mag -2.1 to mag -2.0. It pulls away from Neptune, with the gap between the two less than three degrees on the 2nd and then widening as the month progresses. The two planets had been at conjunction the previous month. The four Galilean moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are visible with 10x50 binoculars or a small telescope and are worth a look.

Saturn is a late evening object during January in Virgo and at the start of the month, rises at 23:50. By month’s end, it rises at 21:50 and brightens from mag +0.9 to mag +0.7 during the month. It lies near to Zaniah (Eta Virginis, mag +3.9) during the month.

Uranus can be found in Pisces during January. It is well placed for observation during this period. At the start of the month, it sets at 23:00. By the end of the month, it sets at 21:00. It maintains it brightness at mag +5.9 during the month. It lies to the South of Lambda Piscium (mag +4.5) – one of the stars of the Circlet Asterism and to the West of 20 Piscium (mag +5.5).

Neptune can be found in Capricornus during January and is lost to the evening twilight by month’s end. At the start of the month, it sets at 20:10. It maintains its brightness at mag +8.0 during the month. It lies to the North of Deneb Algiebi (Delta Capricorni, mag +2.9) and Nashira (Gamma Capricorni, mag +3.7).

The Moon

In January, the last quarter moon is on the 7th with the new moon on the 15th. The first quarter moon is on the 23rd with the full moon on the 30th. The January full moon coincides with the closest perigee of 2010 meaning that this month’s full moon will be 15% brighter and 7% bigger than an average full moon. Perigee is when the moon is at its closest point to Earth during its 28 day orbit.

On the early evening of the 1st, a 98% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies five degrees to the North of NGC 2392 – The Eskimo Nebula.

On the evening of the 2nd/morning of the 3rd, a 93% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies near to M44 – The Beehive Cluster, M67 and Mars. At around 20:00, M44 lies eight degrees to the West of the moon with M67 three degrees to the south of it. By the morning of the 3rd, Mars joins the scene, lying seven degrees to the North of the moon.

On the evening of the 3rd/morning of the 4th, a 86% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies four degrees to the South of Regulus (Alpha Leonis, mag +1.4) at around midnight.

On the morning of the 6th, a 64% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies eight degrees to the South-West of Saturn at around 05:00.

On the morning of the 7th, a 53% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies less than a degree to the North of M104 – The Sombrero Galaxy at around 05:00.

On the morning of the 8th, a 43% illuminated waning crescent moon lies six degrees to the South of Spica (Alpha Virginis, mag +1.0) at around 03:00.

On the morning of the 11th, a 14% illuminated waning crescent moon lies less than three degrees to the West of Antares (Alpha Scorpii, mag +0.9) at around 07:00.

On the morning of the 13th, a 4% illuminated waning crescent moon lies six degrees to the South of Mercury at around 08:00. BE AWARE THAT SUNRISE IS AT AROUND 08:40.

On the early evening of the 17th, a 5% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies three degrees to the North of Neptune and seven degrees to the North-West of Jupiter. Moonset is at around 19:10.

On the evening of the 19th, a 18% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies seven degrees to the North-West of Uranus at around 21:00 with moonset at around 21:35.

On the evening of the 22nd, a 46% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies two degrees to the West of M74 - a mag +9 spiral galaxy at around midnight.

On the evening of the 25th, a 74% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies five degrees to the East of M45 –The Pleiades at around 20:00.

On the evening of the 26th, a 84% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies three degrees to the East of NGC 1746 at around 20:00.

On the morning of the 27th, a 86% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies four degrees to the North of M1 – The Crab Nebula at around 03:00.

On the early evening of the 27th, a 91% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies a degree to the East of M35 at around 19:00.

On the evening of the 28th, a 98% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies within less than a degree of NGC 2392 – The Eskimo Nebula at around midnight.

On the evening of the 29th/morning of the 30th, the near full moon lies near to M44 – The Beehive Cluster, Mars and M67. On the 29th, M44 lies four degrees to the North of the moon at around 22:00. At the same time, Mars lies eight degrees also to the North of the moon. On the 30th, M67 lies four degrees to the South of the moon at around 05:00.

On the morning of the 31st, the just past full moon lies eight degrees to the West of Regulus (Alpha Leonis, mag +1.4) at around 04:00.


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 meteor storm is defined as activity greater or equal to a ZHR of 1000. 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.

The Quadrantids peak on the 3rd at around 18:00 with a ZHR of 120. The radiant is roughly where the constellations Bootes, Draco and Hercules meet low in the North and is circumpolar. The shower is named after a now defunct constellation Quadrans Mualis which lay between Bootes and Draco. A 87% illuminated waning gibbous moon rises at around 20:25 in Leo and interferes with the shower.

Asteroids

At the end of the month, look out for 2 Pallas at mag +9 in the morning sky, passing near to the mag +6 globular cluster M5 in Serpens Caput. Finder charts are available from the RASNZ link in the information section.

Comets

Comet C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring) is a late evening comet during January. At the start of the month, it lies roughly to the South of M3 – the mag +6 globular cluster in Canes Venatici. It moves in a North-Easterly direction into Bootes during the month and lies near to Seginus (Gamma Bootis, mag +3.0) at month’s end. It is visible from midnight at the start of the month and by month’s end it is visible from 22:00. It is around mag +9 and is predicted to remain at similar magnitudes until spring.

Comet 81P/Wild 2 moves in a Easterly direction in January and can be observed in Virgo. It is a morning comet, visible from 01:00 at the start of the month and by month’s end it is still only visible from midnight, due to its Easterly motion. It is currently around mag +10, predicted to peak at around mag +9 in early spring. At the start of the month, it lies three degrees to the West of Saturn and by around the 5th, it lies just over a degree to the South of the ringed planet. Around the 15th, it lies a degree to the South of Porrima (Gamma Virginis, mag +3.7).

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. Orion returns to our skies with M42 – The Great Orion Nebula and also Cancer with M44 – The Beehive Cluster.

General Notes

Always keep an eye out for 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.

Clear Skies

Neill McKeown

Information Sources Used and Links

www.skyviewcafe.com - Used for the Sun and Planets section. Also partly used for the Moon Section

Sky at Night Magazine Observing Guide and CD

www.aerith.net and cometchasing.skyhound.com – Used for the Comet Section for information and finder charts

www.ast.cam.ac.uk/%7Ejds/ - BAA and SPA Comet page

kometen.fg-vds.de/fgk_hpe.htm - German Comet page

www.rasnz.org.nz – Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand website – good for asteroids

BAA Handbook

Stardust Magazine

Sky Guide 2009 – South Dublin Astronomical Society

www.heavens-above.com – For the latest ISS passes, Iridium Flares and Shuttle launches

www.irishastronomy.org – Irish Federation of Astronomy Societies Website

www.stronge.org.uk – Excellent weather site including Space Weather

irishastro.org.uk – Irish Astronomical Association website

www.eaas.co.uk – Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society

Clear Skies

Neill
Last edit: 14 years 3 months ago by Neill. Reason: Meteor Information Wrong

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14 years 3 months ago #82800 by michael_murphy
Replied by michael_murphy on topic Re:January 2010 Observing Guide
Thanks Neill,

Informative as always,

Michael.

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14 years 3 months ago #82808 by Frank Ryan
Replied by Frank Ryan on topic Re:January 2010 Observing Guide
Ok...
Cup of joe time and
a good read of this...

Thanks Neill!

My Astrophotography
Shannonside Astronomy Club __________________________________________
Meade ETX-125PE, Bresser 10 x 50 Binos & Me Peepers

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14 years 3 months ago #82816 by Seanie_Morris
Replied by Seanie_Morris on topic Re:January 2010 Observing Guide
Nice work Neill! Topic made into a sticky.

Seanie.

Midlands Astronomy Club.
Radio Presenter (Midlands 103), Space Enthusiast, Astronomy Outreach Co-ordinator.
Former IFAS Chairperson and Secretary.

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14 years 3 months ago #82818 by Neill
Replied by Neill on topic Re:January 2010 Observing Guide
Hi all,

Made a change to the Quadrantids bit, initial info I had down was wrong!

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14 years 3 months ago #82833 by phoenix
Replied by phoenix on topic Re:January 2010 Observing Guide
Slim pickings this month on the NEO side with only one less than mag 16. Must be Christmas hangovers.

2009 XO

Apollo asteroid

Mag 16.9 2nd to 5th


24761 Ahau

Apollo Asteroid

Reaches mag 15.5 between 16th and 24th


2003 WR21

Apollo asteroid

Mag 17.6 at end of month


2007 UR3

Amor asteroid

Gets to mag 17.9 by end of month


(138893) 2000 YH66

Apollo asteroid

Mag 17.6 at end of month but very low

Kieran
16" ODK (incoming), Mesu Mount 200, APM TMB 80mm, SXV H16, SXV H9
J16 An Carraig Observatory
ancarraigobservatory.co.uk/

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