Skywatch: What’s happening in the heavens in January
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Version 0 of 1. The cosmic curtain rises in January to feature the magnificent planet Venus and meteors running through our heavens. Venus dazzles sky gazers in the southwestern sky at dusk, as this planetary gem is a brilliant -4 magnitude, quite bright. It can be easily confused with a distant jetliner with its landing lights beaming. Early in the month Venus sets around 7:45 p.m., but late in January, it sets around 8:45 p.m. Catch the skinny sliver of the young crescent moon below Venus on Jan. 26-27. The waxing young moon appears to glide by Venus on Jan. 28. Make some coffee or stir the hot chocolate: The new year’s first major meteor shower — the Quadrantids — peaks in the early morning of Jan. 4, according to the International Meteor Organization (IMO.net). For the peak, astronomers forecast 120 shooting stars an hour. On a clear, dark morning, expect to count about 10 to 15, at best. The Quadrantid meteors are caused by asteroid 2003 EH1. Normally comets — which are giant dirty snowballs — shed cosmic dust as they travel through the solar system and visit the sun. When Earth passes through this dusty trail, the dust strikes our atmosphere and burns up to give us a show. In the morning heavens, catch the reddish planet Mars (about +1.5 magnitude, dim) loitering with the red star Antares (+1 magnitude, slightly brighter than Mars) in the south-southeast. Mars is about 5 degrees north of Antares on Jan. 17, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. A few mornings later, before sunrise, find Mars a few degrees south of the waning, last-quarter moon on Jan. 20. The next morning, the very thin moon has leapfrogged Mars, toward the horizon. Just above the southeastern morning horizon, the large gaseous Jupiter begins to emerge above the trees in mid-month. Through the rest of January, Jupiter rises earlier and climbs a little higher in the morning sky. On Jan. 20, look to the southeast before sunrise to find the big planet at -1.9 magnitude (very bright), according to the Naval Observatory. The full moon is Jan. 10, but you will not be able to view the penumbral lunar eclipse on the same date from the United States. If you happen to be traveling, the event will be visible from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, according to eclipse expert Fred Espenak (eclipsewise.com). A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the moon travels through the outer portion of Earth’s shadow and looks a little darker than usual. ●Jan. 5 — Learn about the starry, starry winter nights at the open house at the University of Maryland Observatory. Delight in the cold heavens through telescopes afterward, weather permitting. 8 p.m. astro.umd.edu/openhouse ●Jan. 11 — “Uranus and Neptune: The Ice Giants,” a talk by Amy Simon, a NASA planetary scientist, as she explains how understanding these distant solar system planets can help humanity’s knowledge of exoplanets — which are planets beyond our own solar system. Lecture at the National Capital Astronomers’ regular meeting, held at the University of Maryland Observatory. 7:30 p.m. capitalastronomers.org ●Jan. 12 — “Pulsars and Gravitational Waves,” a talk by astrophysicist Megan DeCesar of Lafayette College. At the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club meeting, 163 Research Hall, George Mason University. 7 p.m. novac.com ●Jan. 16 — “Back on Earth,” a talk by NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nick Hague, who spent four months together on the International Space Station. They will explain living, working and walking in space. At the Moving Beyond Earth gallery, National Air and Space Museum, Washington. 11 a.m. Presented online: airandspace.si.edu ●Jan. 20 — Listen to a cosmic talk at the open house at the University of Maryland Observatory. Observe the night sky through telescopes afterward, weather permitting. 8 p.m. astro.umd.edu/openhouse ●Jan. 24 — “Venus — Our Hothouse Neighbor: Returning to Study Atmospheric Evolution,” a lecture by Ellen Stofan, director of the National Air and Space Museum, at the Philosophical Society of Washington. Powell Auditorium, Cosmos Club, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. 8 p.m. pswscience.org Blaine Friedlander can be reached at PostSkyWatch@yahoo.com. |