SkyEye

Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).

The Sun and Moon

There is a total lunar eclipse on 9 January.

The Earth reaches perihelion on 4 January. As seen from the Earth, the Sun is moving from the constellation Sagittarius to the constellation Capricornus.

The phases of the Moon are

First Quarter : 2 January
Full : 9 January
Last Quarter : 16 January
New : 24 January

The Moon is at perigee on 10 January when higher than normal tides can be expected. This is because perigee nearly coincides with the Full phase. Apogee is on 24 January.

The Planets

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.
Mercury
The closest planet to the Sun reaches greatest elongation east on 28 January. Mercury can be found in the constellations Sagittarius and Capricornus and is best viewed from the northern hemisphere towards the end of the month.
Venus
The "evening star" shines brightly in the west after sunset and arrives at greatest elongation east on 17 January. Venus is in the constellations Aquarius and Pisces.
Mars
The red planet does not rise until after midnight. Look for it in the east in the constellations Virgo and Libra.
Jupiter
The brightest object in the constellation Taurus is no star but a planet. Jupiter resumes prograde motion on 25 January.
Saturn
The ringed planet can be found in the constellation Taurus during the evening hours. Like its giant neighbour, it resumes prograde motion on 25 January.
Uranus
Uranus is much too close to the Sun to be seen in the constellation Capricornus.
Neptune
On 26 January, Neptune is in conjunction with the Sun. Like Uranus, Neptune is located in the constellation Capricornus.
Pluto
This smallest of the planets is in the constellation Ophiuchus which rises in the early morning hours.

Minor Planets, Comets and Meteors

Minor Planets
A number of interesting minor planets populate the solar system.
Comets
Comet 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 reaches perihelion on 27 January in the constellation Sagittarius. Discovered in 1930 by Schwassmann and Wachmann at the Hamburg Observatory, it split into several pieces during its last visit in 1995. If any of these pieces reappear this month, it could become as bright as magnitude 6 in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
Meteors
The waxing gibbous Moon will have set by the time the Quadrantids meteor shower peaks at 12 UT on 3 January.

The Celestial Sphere

Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognises 88 different constellations. The brightest stars as seen from the Earth are easy to spot but do you know their proper names? With a set of binoculars you can look for fainter objects such as nebulae and galaxies or some of the closest stars to the Sun.

Descriptions of the sky for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres are available for the following times this month. Subtract one hour from your local time if daylight savings time is in effect. (Note: These times are approximate.)

Northern Hemisphere : 45° N

Southern Hemisphere : 30° S

For More Information...

Credits

Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of Sky & Telescope and in other fine amateur astronomy magazines available in your local bookshop. Another excellent source is the current edition of the Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell and published by the Universal Workshop at Furman University.

The image of the Sun in the SkyEye banner is courtesy of the SOHO/EIT consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Used with permission.

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Last modified on 31 December 2000
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