SkyEye

The Calendar

The Moon takes centre stage this month. The first full moon of the month is a 'Super Moon' and the second is a 'Blue Moon' which simultaneously undergoes a total lunar eclipse!

The Solar System

The word planet is derived from the Greek word for 'wanderer'. Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars. Dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies, including comets, are not so constrained, often moving far above or below the ecliptic.

Sun Sagittarius → Capricornus

Mercury Ophiuchus → Sagittarius → Capricornus

Mercury is at greatest elongation west on the first day of the year, placing it in the morning sky. It is barely visible from northern latitudes but is more easily seen from the equatorial regions and southern hemisphere. It passes within a degree of Saturn on 13 January.

Venus Sagittarius → Capricornus

At superior conjunction on 9 January, the brightest of all the planets is too close to the Sun to be observed this month. It takes its place as the evening star in the west next month.

Earth and Moon

The Earth makes its annual closest approach to the Sun on 3 January. The date of perihelion can range from New Year's Day to 5 January and often coincides with the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower. Unfortunately, this year apparition is washed out by bright moonlight.

The Moon has a particularly busy month. Less than five hours separate the closest perigee of the year and Full Moon, resulting in a so-called 'Super Moon' on the second day of the month. Expect perigean spring tides. Another Full Moon occurs on 31 January. The second such occurence in a calendar month is popularly called a Blue Moon. This Blue Moon is unusual in that it will undergo a total lunar eclipse.

This month also sees the Moon occult two first-magnitude stars, Regulus on 5 January and Aldebaran on 27 January. It sails by the planet Neptune on 20 January.

Mars Libra → Scorpius

The red planet is a morning sky object this month. On 7 January, it has a very close encounter with another outer planet, Jupiter, passing less than half a degree away from the brighter object. Look for both planets in the east before sunrise. Currently located south of the celestial equator, Mars is best viewed from southern latitudes.

Jupiter Libra

Jupiter rises ahead of the Sun so you'll need to get up early to see it. The largest planet in the solar system makes a spectacular pre-dawn pairing with Mars on 7 January. Like the red planet, Jupiter is most easily seen from the southern hemisphere.

Saturn Sagittarius

At solar conjunction late last month, Saturn is still quite close to the Sun but is slowly pulling away. It appears near Mercury on 13 January in the morning twilight.

Uranus Pisces

This ice giant begins the year in retrograde but reaches a stationary point on the second day of the month and then resumes direct motion. It is at east quadrature on 14 January and sets around midnight.

Neptune Aquarius

A small telescope is necessary to view the most distant planet in the solar system. However, with solar conjunction approaching in early March, it is getting increasingly difficult to observe. Look for it in the west as soon as the sky darkens. The waxing crescent Moon passes within 2° of Neptune on 20 January.