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Home -> Astronomy News -> Events -> January 2013
Post Info TOPIC: January 2013
Blobrana


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January Highlights

The Beehive Cluster
Otherwise known as M44. This is an open cluster and is a wonderful object for binoculars or a small telescope. It contains nearly 200 stars. At a magnitude of 3.7, the cluster should be visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch of light, and as such was known to the ancients and actually included in some of their myths. Hipparchus in 130 BC called it "the little cloud". Its true nature was never revealed until 1610 when Galileo became the first person to ever see it through a telescope.
Using your binoculars, you should find about 80 (many more, if you're using a telescope). Since the Beehive is about 450 light years away the light you are seeing tonight left before Galileo first lifted his telescope toward the sky.

The Orion Nebula
Orion is a favourite target of telescope owners. In the centre of Orion's sword, just below the 'belt', lies the great Orion Nebula. Even small 60mm telescopes will show the brightest regions of the nebula and the "Trapezium"; a grouping of the brightest blue stars near the centre. The nebula glows because of the intense energy being radiated by them. The red light shows the location of the hydrogen gas, the blue light is light being reflected from the Trapezium. The blue colour has the same origin as the blue light of our daytime sky, the dust particles in this nebula, reflect blue light more readily than red. 



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Blobrana


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Eyes on the Sky: Dec 31 thru Jan 6



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Blobrana


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Asteroids at Opposition

Asteroid (211) Isolda is at Opposition on the 1st January, 2013.
Magnitude: 11.1
Distance to Earth: 1.595 au
Distance to Sun: 2.578 au

Asteroid (9) Metis is at Opposition on the 1st January, 2013.
Magnitude: 8.5
Distance to Earth: 1.137 au
Distance to Sun: 2.118 au

Asteroid (451) Patientia is at Opposition on the 12th January, 2013.
Magnitude: 10.7
Distance to Earth: 1.916 au
Distance to Sun: 2.891 au

Asteroid (182) Elsa is at Opposition on the 15th January, 2013.
Magnitude: 11.1
Distance to Earth: 1.139 au
Distance to Sun: 2.123 au

Asteroid (45) Eugenia is at Opposition on the 23rd January, 2013.
Magnitude: 11.2
Distance to Earth: 1.809 au
Distance to Sun: 2.791 au

Asteroid (13) Egeria is at Opposition on the 29th January, 2013.
Magnitude: 10.1
Distance to Earth: 1.444 au
Distance to Sun: 2.361 au



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Blobrana


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Mercury: at magnitude -0.6, starts the month in the constellation of Sagittarius.  Mercury is at aphelion on the 4th January. Mercury is in conjunction (4.7°) with Pluto on the 6th January, 2013. The planet is best seen from 6.3h - 8.0h.  Mercury is at superior conjunction at 08:50 UT, 18th January. Mercury is 6° from the Moon on the 11th. 
(On January 27th, RA=21h09m02s  Dec=-18°28.6' (J2000) Distance=1.355AU  Phase k=97%  Diameter=5.0")

Venus: is at magnitude -3.9.  The planet is in constellation Ophiuchus at the start of the month. It is best seen from 7.3h -14.0h.  Venus is in conjunction (3.3°) with Pluto on the 16th January, 2013. The Moon is 4° from Venus on the 10th.  
(On January 1st, RA=17h16m33s  Dec=-22°22.5' (J2000) Distance=1.552AU  Phase k=93%  Diameter=10.7")

 phase.gif

 

Earth: Perihelion (distance to sun: 0.9833 AU) at 04:37.4 UT, 2nd January, 2013

The Moon:  The Moon is 7° from Regulus on the 1st. The Full Moon is on the 27th.  Lunar perigee is on the 10th.  Last Quarter Moon is in the 5th.  Lunar apogee in the 22nd.  The New Moon is on the 11th.  The First Quarter Moon is on the 18th.

Mars: at magnitude 1.2 starts the month in the constellation Capricornus. The planet is best seen from 16.5h -17.6h.  Mars is at perihelion on the 24th January. The Moon is 7° from Mars on the 13th. 
(On January 1st, RA=20h30m44s  Dec=-20°07.4' (J2000) Distance=2.227AU  Phase k=97%  Diameter=4.2")

Jupiter: is in the constellation Taurus. At magnitude -2.8, the planet is best seen from 15.6h - 6.2h.  Jupiter is 5° from the Moon on the 21st. Jupiter is stationary (Getting Prograde) on the 30th January.

Transit times of the Great Red Spot are posted in a seprate thread.
(On January 1st, RA= 4h23m39s  Dec=+20°52.5' (J2000) Distance=4.210AU  Diameter=46.8")

Saturn: at magnitude 0.6 sits in the constellation Libra. The planet is best seen from 3.3h - 8.4h.  Saturn is 6° from the Moon on the 6th. The planet's rings are tilted 19° towards the Earth this month.
(On January 1st, RA=14h30m57s  Dec=-12°23.7' (J2000) Distance=10.226AU  Diameter=16.2")

Uranus: is in the constellation Pisces. Uranus at magnitude 5.8, has a bluish-green hue and appears 3.6 arcseconds wide.     
(On January 1st, RA= 0h17m58s  Dec= +1°10.5' (J2000) Distance=20.148AU  Diameter=3.5")

Neptune: is at magnitude 7.9 in the constellation Aquarius. The planet is best seen from 17.6h -18.5h. The planet is lost to the evening twilight this month.
(On December 1st, RA=22h10m22s  Dec=-11°56.5' (J2000) Distance=30.138AU  Diameter=2.2")

Pluto: is in the constellation Sagittarius (mag 14.2). Normally, a finder chart is necessary to help in identifying the 0.13" diameter dwarf planet. The dwarf planet is best seen from 17.7h - 6.7h.  The planet is at its furthest distance from the Earth on the 1st January, 2013.
(On January 1st, RA=18h38m49s  Dec=-19°48.2' (J2000) Distance=33.341AU  Diameter=0.1")

The Sun enters the zodiac sign Aquarius at 21:52 UT, 19th January, 2013.



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Tonight's Sky: January 2013



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