January 2010 – Update 2
Skywatchers’ Guide for January 2010
HIGHLIGHTS: Mars takes center stage this month as Jupiter recedes into the southwestern horizon: Mars is at opposition on Friday, January 29 and there will be a joint event at Flandrau that same night. Saturn becomes increasingly visible, as does its rings later this month.
PLANETS
 Jupiter and the Moon are shown on this sky chart on January 19 at 6:45 p.m. MST. The position of other planets in the sky are shown for reference.  Mars and the Moon are shown on this sky chart on January 29 at 6:45 p.m. MST. The position of the Earth's shadow is shown for reference.  Mars, Saturn and the Moon are shown on this sky chart rising in the eastern sky on January 6 at midnight (12 a.m. MST). |
The planet Mars peaks in brightness and apparent size this month as it is at opposition on January 29. Flandrau, Biosphere 2 and The Mount Lemmon Sky Center will host a joint event that same night: click here for more information. or download the event flyer. Although Mars is closest to Earth on January 27, differences in apparent size are negligible within two weeks of its opposition date. During this time Mars will appear brightest in our sky and largest in a telescope this year. Although this opposition is not nearly as close as the one in 2003, this will be the closest to Earth and largest Mars will appear until the year 2014 (at 14 arc seconds in diameter). Mars starts January as a false bright, rusty-orange star ‘within’ the constellation of Leo, the Lion but retrogrades (moves backward) some 10 degrees into Cancer, the Crab this month. Also, look for the nearly full, waning gibbous Moon to rise nearest Mars in our sky this month at around 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, January 2 (the same night as the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower – see below).
Bright, whitish Jupiter continues to shine brightly on evenings this January but is setting earlier into the southwestern horizon and becomes increasingly less visible in the evening sky. This month, as during December, the best time to view it will be during the first half of the month (especially January’s first week), when it’s up longer and is higher in our sky. On January 1, whitish Jupiter is still bright (at magnitude -2.1) and large in a telescope (around 34 arc seconds wide) compared to other planets. This is noticeably smaller than Jupiter can appear. Early to mid-January continues to be a good time to view the giant planet in bright evening twilight and 1-2 hours after sunset. Jupiter leaves the constellation of Capricornus, the Sea Goat and moves into Aquarius, the Water Bearer this month (where it will be for much of 2010). Jupiter is highest and due south in bright evening twilight in early January at around 27 degrees in altitude, around 1 hour after sunset for much of the Desert Southwest. Jupiter sets by 9:00 p.m. in early January, by 8:15 p.m. in middle January, and by 7:30 p.m. on January 31. Look for the 2.5 day old razor thin waxing crescent Moon below (and right or north of) Jupiter in the southwestern sky on Sunday evening, January 17. A thicker crescent Moon will lie well above Jupiter on Monday January 18.
When looking at Jupiter in a telescope to view its cloud belts and festoons, the sharpest views should be seen just after sunset in evening twilight, when at or near its highest in the twilight sky this month. As with any planet viewing is dependent on atmospheric stability and conditions, and of course, the quality and size of the telescope used. However to view its moons, a good pair of binoculars is all that’s needed.
Ringed Saturn becomes more prominent in our January sky and moves into the evening sky by the end of the month. Its rings also have reached their widest tilt for this winter. In early January look for Saturn rising in the east at around 11:30 p.m. By mid-month Saturn rises by 10:30 p.m. and then by 9:30 p.m. by January 31. At 6 a.m. in early January Saturn is overhead before the start of twilight and near its highest possible altitude during this apparition (57 degrees in altitude). As it is rising earlier each night Saturn, as viewed around 6 a.m., will shift increasingly into the western sky. Currently it is found below the constellation Leo the Lion in Virgo, the Virgin. Also look for the 21 day old waning crescent Moon to appear below and closest to Saturn in our sky on Tuesday evening, January 5 (into Wednesday morning January 6).
The elusive planet Mercury has a fairly favorable dawn apparition this month. Mercury is easily visible but low in the morning twilight; It’s best visible during the second half of January when it is about 5-8 degrees above the southeastern horizon 45 minutes to one hour before sunrise. The elusive planet brightens from a +0.5 magnitude object on January 15 to -0.1 on January 27. Mercury is lost in the glare of the Sun during the last half of February.
The brilliant planet Venus is lost in the glare of the Sun near the eastern dawn horizon this month.
Visitors to Flandrau’s 16-inch telescope should note that Jupiter will only be briefly visible in the telescope when it first opens each night during the first 10 days of January. Mars should become visible above campus buildings by 9 p.m. on January 20 during public hours (closed on New Year’s Day). Other celestial objects will be shown in the telescope, weather permitting. Although Flandrau’s main exhibit hall and planetarium are now closed to the general public due to state budget cuts, school groups can arrange for planetarium and Mineral Museum field trips. The Mineral Museum is normally open Friday and Saturdays to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (and by appointment). The Flandrau Observatory remains open for viewing during public hours from 7-10 p.m., weather permitting, Wednesday through Saturday nights (excluding select holidays). Finally, remember that in spotting planets there is a general rule: ’stars twinkle, planets don’t’. This is because stars are point sources of light; therefore starlight is easily disturbed and shifted by air currents in the Earth’s atmosphere. However when looking at Mercury this month, note that it may appear to twinkle somewhat; however, this twinkling is of a slower nature than that of the bright stars.
THE QUADRANTID METEOR SHOWER WASHED OUT BY MOONLIGHT
 The northern sky around the Quadrantid meteor shower radiant is shown around 3 a.m. on January 3/4. This sky chart is useful for the entire United States, southern Canada and all of Mexico. |
The little known Quadrantid Meteors are largely washed out by a nearly full, 17 day old waning Moon which makes viewing this year’s shower extremely difficult. The Quadrantids have a short peak or spurt of activity that lasts for just a few hours at best. Some astronomers are predicting a possibly peak for the western United States that may start around 5 a.m. on the morning of Sunday January 3rd, allowing for at least 90 minutes of pre-dawn viewing of bright meteors.
Meteor watchers, warmly dressed and with ample supplies of hot chocolate, should seek out a dark sky several miles away from city lights and scan the sky starting at midnight from high in the south and east to overhead. Quadrantid meteors appear to originate from an extinct 18th-19th century constellation (the Mural Wall Quadrant) which occupies an area of the sky below (east of) the Big Dipper.
JANUARY EVENING STARS
 This sky chart shows the eastern sky at 9 p.m. in early January, at 8 p.m. in mid-January and at 7 p.m. in late January. |
In early January look in the east for the bright stars of winter to rise around 8 p.m. Orange Betelgeuse, the shoulder of Orion the Hunter, shines left of Orion’s 3 glittering belt stars. The Gemini Twins, the bright stars Castor and the slightly brighter Pollux twinkle left of Orion. An hour later, by 9 p.m., the bright star Procyon (whose name means “Before the Dog”) is newly risen in the east. From Tucson’s latitude, the Dog, – that is the “Dog Star” Sirius– the brightest star in all the heavens, rises almost at the same time as Procyon, so Procyon’s name isn’t so true this far south. Watch for brilliant Sirius to flicker different colors dramatically when low in the sky, a wonderful sight in binoculars. The flickering is due to earth’s atmosphere.
MOON PHASES
The January last quarter Moon occurs on Sunday morning January 6.The January 2010 new moon will occur on Monday, January 15.
The January first quarter Moon will occur on Saturday evening, January 22. The January Full Wolf Moon rises on the evening of Saturday, January 29 and sets on the morning of Sunday, January 30.
Note: Additional information can be accessed by phone at Flandrau Science Center’s Astronomy Newsline at (520) 621-4310 or as a menu option at 621-S-T-A-R.
Graphics done using Starry Night Pro and Adobe Photoshop. To purchase Starry Night Enthusiast go to http://StarryNight.com.