The Night Sky for January 2009
Venus Is in the West and the Full Moon Is the Biggest of the Year
Dec 23, 2008
Following closely on the biggest and brightest full moon of 2008 that occurred in December is the biggest and brightest full moon of 2009, which occurs in January. On January 10, the moon reaches full at 10:27 pm EST. On this date the moon is also at perigee and 222,138 miles from Earth at 6 am EST. This bright, close full moon is the third brightest of the 25 year period from 1993 to 2017.
Best Time of Year to See Three Planets in the Evening Sky
The first few weeks of the year is the best time in 2009 to see three bright planets at once after sunset. Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus are all in the southwest after sunset. On January 1, Jupiter and Mercury are about 2 degrees apart and Venus floats 29 degrees above. Jupiter is a bit brighter than Mercury.
Venus is the brightest and highest from the horizon and will remain easily visible in the southwest over the next few months while Jupiter and Mercury quickly sink back toward the horizon. Venus reaches greatest elongation, its furthest separation from the Sun at 47 degrees, on January 14. Mercury also reaches greatest elongation this month, on January 4, at 19 degrees from the Sun.
On January 21 to 23, Venus and Uranus are less than one and a half degrees apart. In the Northern Hemisphere, use binoculars to see Venus slide by to Uranus's right. Venus is bright enough to spot in the daytime this month, and on January 29 and 30, its position near the moon makes it easier to find just before sunset.
For those following Venus through a telescope or binoculars in January, watch as its overall size gets larger but its phase shrinks from gibbous to crescent.
See the Shadow of Saturn's Rings on the Planet
The first few weeks of January is the best time to see Saturn's rings cast a shadow on the planet. Saturn rises in late evening for viewers in North America and a telescope will be required to see the shadow. By the end of the month Saturn rises a bit earlier but the best shadow effect will be gone. Later this year, the rings of Saturn will seem to disappear as the planet tilts so that the rings appear edge-on for observers on Earth.
The Quadrantid Metoer Shower Peaks
On January 3, the Quadrantid meteor shower peaks over North America just before dawn. The Quadrantids have a sharp peak, which means that their main activity lasts just a few hours. The debris that makes the meteor shower comes from asteroid 2003 EH1. The path of the debris and the track of Earth make a T-shaped intersection, bringing us quickly into and through the dust and explaining its short-lived show. The name Quadrantid comes from Quandrans Muralis, a constellation that is no longer in existence. Its former location and the spot from whence these meteors appear to radiate lies just above the head of Bootes.
An Annular Eclipse Slips Across Southern Oceans and Islands
An annular eclipse on January 26, 2009, sweeps a narrow path through the oceans south of Africa and across the Indian Ocean into Sumatra and Borneo. The annular eclipse will pass just north of Jakarta. Annular eclipses are NOT SAFE to view with the naked eye. Unlike total solar eclipses, annular eclipses occur when the moon is at apogee, or its farthest point from Earth, and therefore the moon does not completely block out the Sun in the sky but a small ring, or annulus, surrounds the moon and still shines through. For those just outside the track of annularity, a partial eclipse can be seen.
With Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, a meteor shower, a huge full moon and an annular eclipse, there is something for everyone everywhere this January.
 |
