Constellations and stars of the winter sky (January). What to watch: the starry sky in January A bright star in the sky in January

In January, in the evening sky, Mars and Venus take turns passing close conjunctions with Neptune, which require a telescope to observe, since distant Neptune is inaccessible to weak optical instruments, especially in the evening sky. Mercury visible for about an hour against the background of the dawn at the most southwestern horizon. Venus sparkles with a bright Evening Star above the southwestern horizon, first in the constellation of Aquarius, by the end of the month passing into the constellation of Pisces. Mars observed in the evening sky over the southwestern horizon in the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. Jupiter visible above the southeastern horizon in the second half of the night in the constellation Virgo, moving over its bright star Spica. Saturn visible in the morning sky just above the southeastern horizon. Uranus and Neptune visible in the evening and at night in the constellations of Pisces and Aquarius.

moon will approach the indicated planets: on January 2 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.15 - with Venus, on January 3 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.23 - with Mars and Neptune, on January 6 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.57 - with Uranus, on January 19 in the morning at lunar phase 0.60 - with Jupiter, January 24 in the morning with a lunar phase of 0.15 - with Saturn, January 26 in the morning with a lunar phase of 0.04 - with Mercury, January 30 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.05 - with Neptune. For observations, it is better to choose nights when the Moon near the full phases does not pass near the observed planet.

The visibility conditions are given for the middle latitudes of Russia (about 56°N). For cities to the north and south, celestial bodies will be located at the indicated time, respectively, slightly lower or higher (by the difference in latitudes) relative to their places in the sky of Bratsk. To clarify the local conditions for the visibility of planets, use planetarium programs.

MERCURY moving backwards in the constellation Sagittarius, on January 8, changing the movement to a straight line. The planet is visible at dawn for a month, reaching a maximum western elongation of 24 degrees on January 12, after which it returns to approach the Sun, completing visibility. The apparent diameter of Mercury decreases from 9 to 5 arc seconds with increasing brightness from +3.2m to -0.3m. The phase of Mercury changes from 0.05 to 0.8 per month. Successful observations of Mercury during periods of visibility require binoculars, an open horizon, and a clear twilight sky.

The position of Mercury in the morning sky of January 2017 during the period of maximum elongation

VENUS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. The planet is visible in the evening dawn over the southwestern horizon, reaching a maximum angular distance from the Sun of 47 degrees on January 12, after which it will begin its rendezvous with the Sun. The duration of the visibility of Venus against the background of the twilight sky reaches 4 hours by the end of the month. The angular dimensions of the planet's disk increase from 21 to 30 arc seconds. The phase of the planet decreases from 0.57 to 0.4 with increasing brightness from -4.5m to -4.8m. Such a bright brilliance and angular distance from the Sun make it possible to observe Venus during the day with the naked eye (assuming a transparent clear blue sky).

On January 13, Venus will come close to Neptune, reaching an angular distance in the sky of 0.35 degrees.

MARS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. It can be observed in the evenings for 4-5 hours above the southwestern horizon. The brightness of the planet decreases from +1m to +1.2m in a month, and the angular diameter adheres to the value of 5". For observations, a telescope with a lens diameter of 60-90 mm is required. To observe the details on the disk of Mars, the moment of opposition, which occurs once every two years, is best suited. At other periods, Mars appears in a telescope as a tiny reddish disk with no details. The next opposition of Mars will occur on July 27, 2018 (Great Opposition!).

On January 1, Mars will come close to Neptune, reaching an angular distance of 0.016 degrees in the sky.

JUPITER moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Virgo (above * Spica). The gas giant rises above the southeastern horizon at night and increases visibility from 6 to 8 hours by the end of the month. The angular diameter of the giant planet in the sky increases from 35 to 38 arcseconds, and the brightness from -1.8m to -2.0m.

Position of Jupiter in the morning sky January 2017

Four bright satellites of the giant are visible through binoculars - due to the rapid orbital movement, they noticeably change their position relative to each other and Jupiter during one night (the configurations of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto can be found in astronomical calendars or in planetarium programs).

The telescope distinguishes bands (northern and southern equatorial bands), shadows from satellites periodically pass across the planet’s disk, as well as the famous huge oval cyclone BKP (Great Red Spot), which makes a complete revolution along with the planet’s atmosphere in 9.5 hours. The current longitude of the BKP can be found at http://jupos.privat.t-online.de/rGrs.htm. The BKP appears about 2 hours before passing through the meridian and disappears after 2 hours (goes beyond the disk).

The moments of the passage of the BKP through the central meridian of Jupiter in January 2017 (universal time UT)
To get the time for Bratsk, you need to add 8 hours to UTC

Current longitude of BKP 262°

SATURN moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Ophiuchus. The planet is observed in the morning near the southeastern horizon, increasing the duration of visibility from 1 to 2 hours during the month. The angular diameter of Saturn is 15 seconds of arc at magnitude +0.6m.

In a small telescope, the ring around the planet and the satellite Titan (+8m) are clearly distinguished. The visible dimensions of the planet's ring are about 40x16 arc seconds. At present, the rings of the planet are open at 27° and the north pole of the gas giant is illuminated by the Sun.

Position of Saturn in the morning sky in January 2017

URANUS moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces. The planet can be observed from late evening until midnight during moonless periods (i.e. at the beginning and at the end of the month). The brightness of the planet adheres to the value of +5.8m at an angular diameter of 3".

During opposition periods, Uranus can be observed with the naked eye in a clear transparent sky, in the absence of illumination from the Moon (near the new moon) and away from city lights. In a 150-mm telescope with a magnification of 80x and higher, you can see a greenish disk ("pea") of the planet. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness weaker than +13m.

The position of Uranus and Neptune, Mars and Venus in the evening sky at the end of January 2017

NEPTUNE moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Aquarius near the star lambda (3.7m). The planet is visible in the evening sky, the duration of visibility decreases from 5 to 2 hours. The brightness of the planet is +7.9m magnitude with an angular diameter of about 2".

Binoculars or a telescope using star charts and a clear, transparent and moonless sky will help you find Neptune during periods of visibility. To view the disk of the planet, you need a 200-mm telescope with a magnification of 100 times or more (with a transparent sky). The satellites of Neptune have a brightness weaker than +13m.

The transparent clean winter air of January creates excellent conditions for observing the winter sky, if it is not overcast.

Moscow sky January 12, 2019 8 pm, west. Moon and Mars in Pisces. Neptune in Aquarius and Uranus on the border of Pisces and Aries

Moscow sky January 18, 2019 0 a.m., south. Moon in Taurus near Hyades and Aldebaran. Orion, Unicorn, Canis Minor, Canis Major, Eridanus and Hare

Moscow sky January 22 8.30, southeast. Venus and Jupiter in Ophiuchus. Saturn and Pluto in Sagittarius, Ceres in Libra. Pallas in Virgo.

Nebula Rosette from the constellation Unicorn. At its center is the open star cluster NGC 2244.

Open cluster M 50 (NGC 2323) from the constellation Monoceros

Excellent objects for observation in the winter frosty air are Taurus with the Hyades, Pleiades and the famous Crab Nebula M 1. Charioteer and Orion are moving behind Taurus. Star Twins float above Orion. Below Gemini, to the left of Orion is Canis Minor. Between Orion and Small Dog lurked the Unicorn.

The constellation of Orion, rich in bright stars, looks great. The sky hunter delights us with its appearance on frosty winter evenings and looks great even in the foggy city sky. A kind of heavenly bow. Above Orion's Shoulders - Betelgeuse (0.45 m, M4) and Bellatrix, below - Sayf and Rigel. In the middle between these two bases, three stars lined up in a row are visible - Orion's Belt. The belt indicates the direction to the brightest star in our sky - Sirius, α Canis Major (- 1.46 m, A0). Sirius, Procyon (α Minor Canis, 0.4 m, F5) and Betelgeuse make up the so-called winter triangle. From Betelgeuse to Bellatrix 5°. Moving from Betelgeuse 30 ° to the left, we find Procyon - the brightest star from the constellation Canis Minor.

Below Orion's Belt hangs a sword of three stars aligned in a perpendicular direction. The famous Orion Nebula M 42 can be found near the middle star of the sword. This is the brightest diffuse nebula with a brightness of about 4 m and a size of approximately 80 'x 60', which is more than 4 times the area of ​​the full moon. Thanks to this, the nebula looks good through binoculars even with a brightening sky. M 42 lies about 1344 light years from Earth and is 33 light years across.

If we extend the line from Bellatrix through Betelgeuse further, then we will get to the Unicorn and its treasures. On the way, we must meet the star Epsilon Unicorn. Pay attention to this constellation, named after the mythological animal. In Latin, its name is Monoceros, abbreviated as Mon. The constellation is quite extensive, 482 square degrees, 35th in area, but poor in bright stars. There are only two stars there, brighter than 4m. But it is located within the Milky Way and is rich in star clusters and nebulae. The Unicorn Nebula is home to the Rosette Nebula, the Cone Nebula (NGC 2264), the Hubble Variable Nebula (NGC 2261) and others. In ancient times, such a constellation was not known. It was introduced in the first half of the 17th century. German astronomer Jacob Bartsch (Barchius). Sometimes the authorship is attributed to Jan Hevelius. The Catholic Church associated the unicorn with the idea of ​​the virginity of the Mother of God and the incarnation of Christ.

A very interesting object to observe is the already mentioned giant Rosette Nebula, a region of molecular hydrogen where star formation processes are taking place. The nebula lies about 5,200 light-years from Earth (estimates vary considerably). Its diameter is approximately 130 light years, and its mass is about 10,000 solar masses. Due to the abundance of hydrogen, the nebula has a red tint in most photographs. At the center of the nebula are the bright blue stars of the open cluster NGC 2244. The cluster has an angular diameter of 24′, almost like a full moon. Glitter 4,80 m . Separates the cluster from us 5200 light years. Radial speed 34 km/s. The cluster is moving away from us, albeit not very quickly. Spectral type, determined by the hottest of the O5 stars. Its age is 3 million years.

The open cluster M 50 (NGC 2323) in the constellation Monoceros stands out well in a region of the sky poor in stars. It was first discovered by Giovanni Cassini (before 1711) and then independently discovered by Charles Messier in 1772. Perhaps this is not the most remarkable cluster, but it is in winter that it is most accessible for observation. It contains up to 50 stars of different brightness and color (12 m - 16 m), but to see them all, you need a telescope with a magnification of at least 60. The total brightness is 6.3 m. When viewed through binoculars, among the mostly blue-white stars, one red one stands out. Reference star θ Canis Major.

4° from ε Mon towards the zenith will lead to the white star 13 Mon (4.47 m , A0). The open cluster NGC 2251 is located 1° above it. Luminosity 7.3 m. Age 300 million years. The cluster is moving away at a speed of 8 km/s.

Venus flaunts in the morning sky. It appears at about 5 o'clock in the morning and is perfectly visible in the Moscow sky. In January, perhaps, the best conditions for its observation in 2019. It is visible even after sunrise in the morning. The brightness of Venus falls from -4.6m to -4.3m in a month, but will still give odds to any other planet or star. The apparent diameter of the nearest inner planet decreases from 26″ to 20″. Aphrodite moves away from us in space. The Venusian phase grows from 0.48 to 0.62. The height above the horizon promises to exceed 5°.

Beautiful Aphrodite meets the New Year in the southeast, the constellation of Libra. On January 10, she moves from Libra to Scorpio, on January 15 she moves to Ophiuchus and at the very end of the month approaches Sagittarius. On January 22, Venus will sail only 2 ° above Jupiter. The meeting of these brightest planets will decorate any photo.

The main, largest planet of the solar system, Jupiter appears in the morning sky in the company of Venus. Not as bright as the beautiful Aphrodite, but it will not be difficult to distinguish it from the starry background. Venus catches up and overtakes him. At the beginning of this year, the new location of Jupiter is Ophiuchus. Southeast side. Ahead is Sagittarius. Jupiter's brightness and apparent size increase slightly from -1.6 m to -1.7 m and from 32″ to 34″, respectively. Noteworthy are the meetings of Jupiter with the Moon on January 3 and 31.

Mercury can be seen in the constellation Sagittarius an hour before sunrise. A very good moment for observations, its brightness grows from −0.4 m to −1.5 m in a month. Brighter than Mars! At the same time, the visible diameter slowly decreases from 5.2″ to 4.8″.

Mars is celebrating the new year in the constellation Pisces. Only on January 11 will it hit the corner of the constellation Cetus. Mars has moved away from Neptune and is in a hurry to meet Uranus with a direct movement. Evening visibility until midnight. The brilliance of Mars decreases before our eyes from +0.5 m to +0.9 m in a month, the apparent diameter decreases from 7″ to 6″, and the Martian phase from 0.87 to 0.89. Mars becomes similar to Saturn, and in apparent diameter tends to Uranus. But high above the horizon.

At the limit of visibility low above the horizon before sunrise towards the end of January, there is a chance to see Saturn. January 1st was the Junction. The seat of Saturn is Sagittarius, south of the light yellow star Albaldach, π Sag (2.85 m, F2). The brightness of Saturn is about +0.6 m, and the diameter is 15″..

In the company of Saturn, Pluto moves along Sagittarius - the god of the underworld and the guardian of the boundaries of the solar system. You need to look for it in 3 ° to the left of the star Albald. The brightness of Pluto is about 14.3 m.

Evening visibility of the "invisible" giants of the solar system is still excellent, but its duration of visibility is inevitably reduced. Neptune sails in the constellation Aquarius, west side. The movement is direct between Khidor (λ Aqr) and φ Aqr towards the latter. Mars can be used as a guide. The brightness of Neptune is about 7.9 m. The visible size is stable at 2″. Height above the horizon reaches 27°. The sky god Uranus, more accessible to amateur technology, continues to move between the constellations of Pisces and Aries. Look for it one degree from the star Torcularis Septintriionalis, Pisces omicron, ο Psc (4.26 m , K0). Shine of Uranus 5.8 m. The visible diameter is kept at 4″. The height of Uranus above the horizon reaches 45°.

The dwarf planet Ceres, former asteroid #1, is also following Venus through the constellation Libra, slowly falling behind. Visibility after midnight. The brightness of Ceres grows from 8.88 m to 8.59 m in two months. Observation conditions are improving. Height up to 18°. Almost until the end of January, immediately after sunset, Vesta can be observed in Capricorn. Luster about 7.9 m , height up to 9°. On January 25, she moves into Aquarius. Another asteroid, Pallas, moves through the constellation Virgo, passing between the stars Spica and Heza. The brilliance of Pallas varies from 8.86 m to 9.06 m. The apparent diameter of all three objects, as well as the vast majority of asteroids, is indistinguishable from zero.

The moments of sunset and sunrise of representatives of the solar system in the Moscow sky in hours and minutes are shown in the table in chronological order. Accuracy is five minutes.

Event January 1 January 15 January 31
Sunset 16.00 16.25 17.00
Mercury setting 14.45 15.20 16.55
Neptune set 05/22 15/21 10/20
Rise of Pallas 1.40 0.55 23.40
Mars Setting 23.50 23.50 23.55
Uranus Set 2.35 1.45 0.40
Ceres rising 4.25 4.00 3.25
Venus Rising 4.50 5.15 5.40
Jupiter Rising 6.45 6.15 5.20
Saturn Rising 9.10 8.15 7.15
Pluto Rising 9.40 8.50 7.45
Evnomiya Sunrise 9.15 8.35 7.50
Mercury rising 8.00 8.45 8.50
Sunrise 9.10 9.00 8.45

The year begins with eclipses. On January 6, 2019, a partial solar eclipse is expected. In Russia, residents of the south of Eastern Siberia, the Far East and Kamchatka can see the eclipse. The inhabitants of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin will be lucky. The maximum phase of the eclipse 0.725 will come in the east of Yakutia.

A total lunar eclipse is expected on January 21st. Residents of the European part of Russia will be able to watch the total phase of the eclipse, the Urals and Western Siberia will get a penumbral phase, and residents of the Far East, the Kamchatka and Chukchi Peninsulas will only see its end. Chronology of the eclipse according to Moscow time

Beginning of the penumbral eclipse 5:36
Beginning of partial shadow eclipse 6:33
Beginning of total eclipse 7:41
Maximum phase 8:12
End of total eclipse 8:43
End of partial shadow eclipse 9:50
End of penumbral eclipse 10:48

January 6th is a new moon, and January 21st is a full moon. The second and last quarters will be on January 14 and 28, respectively.

Approach of celestial objects to the Moon.

Object Date Distance Constellation Visibility
Venus 2.01 0.7° S Libra −
31.01 0.4° S Sagittarius −
Jupiter 3.01 2.2° S Ophiuchus −
31.01 2.2° S Ophiuchus −
Mercury 4.01 2.2° S Sagittarius −
Saturn 5.01 0.3° S Sagittarius −
Hyades 17.01 0.9° S Taurus +
Aldebaran 17.01 1.0° S Taurus +
Nursery 21.01 1.3° С Cancer +
Regulus 23.01 1.7° Yu Lev +

Of the meteor showers, one should pay attention to the Quadrantids in the constellation Bootes; flow activity falls on December 28-January 12; maximum: January 4 ZHR = 120 (may vary from 60 to 200).

Good luck observing!

Selected astronomical events of the month (Moscow time):

1st of January- close approach of Mars and Neptune (up to 1 arc minute!),
January 2— Moon (Ф= 0.15+) near Venus,
January 3— the maximum action of the Quadrantida meteor shower (ZHR=120),
January 3— coverage by the Moon (Ф= 0.23+) of Neptune and Mars in visibility in Indonesia and Oceania,
4 January- Earth at perihelion (maximum apparent diameter of the Sun),
5 January Moon in first quarter phase
6th January— Moon (Ф= 0.53+) near Uranus,
January 8- Mercury in standing with the transition from backward to direct movement,
January 9— coverage of Aldebaran by the Moon at a phase of 0.88 (visibility in the Central Asian countries of the CIS, in the south of Siberia and in Primorye),
January 10— Moon (Ф= 0.93+) in perigee,
January 11— Moon (Ф= 0.96+) at maximum declination,
January 12- full moon
January 12- Venus at its maximum eastern (evening) elongation of 47 degrees,
January 12- Venus passes 0.4 degrees north of Neptune,
January 15- coverage by the Moon (Ф = 0.91-) of the star Regulus with visibility in South America,
January 16— long-period variable star RS Scorpii near maximum brightness (6m),
January 17- the maximum divergence of all the bright satellites of Jupiter,
January 18- asteroid Vesta (6.2m) in opposition to the Sun,
January 19- Mercury at its maximum western (morning) elongation of 24 degrees,
January 19— Moon in last quarter phase near Jupiter,
January 22- Moon (F = 0.30-) at its apogee,
January 22— coverage by the Moon (Ф = 0.30-) of the star Gamma Libra with magnitude 3.9m at visibility in Siberia,
January 23 is a long-period variable star RT Sagittarius near its maximum brightness (6m),
January 24- Moon (Ф = 0.12-) near Saturn,
The 25th of January— Moon (Ф= 0.1-) in minimum declination,
January 26- Moon (Ф = 0.05-) near Mercury,
28 January- new moon
January 29— long-period variable star V Bootes near maximum brightness (6m),
January 30— coverage by the Moon (Ф= 0.05+) of Neptune with visibility in Africa and Central Asia,
January 31— Moon (Ф= 0.15+) near Venus.

The sun moves through the constellation Sagittarius until January 20, and then passes into the constellation Capricorn. The declination of the central luminary is gradually increasing, and the length of the day is increasing, reaching 8 hours 32 minutes by the end of the month. latitude of Moscow. The noon height of the Sun for a month at this latitude will increase from 11 to 16 degrees. January is not the best month for observing the Sun, however, you can observe new formations on the surface of the daylight with a telescope or binoculars. But you need to remember that a visual study of the Sun through a telescope or other optical instruments must be carried out (!!) using a solar filter (recommendations for observing the Sun are available in the journal Nebosvod http://astronet.ru/db/msg/1222232).

The moon will start moving in the January sky in the constellation Capricorn with a growing phase of 0.07. By increasing the phase to 0.15, the young month on January 2 will move into the constellation of Aquarius, passing north of Venus. Here, the crescent moon, which adorns the evening sky, will spend two days approaching Mars and Neptune on January 3 at phase 0.23, which will cover in visibility in Indonesia and Oceania. These days, the Moon is increasing its height above the horizon, gradually moving away from the bright Venus. Passing into the constellation of Pisces on January 4, the crescent moon will increase the phase to almost 0.4 and rush to the phase of the first quarter, which it will take on January 5. In the constellation of Pisces, the lunar oval on January 6 will pass south of Uranus, around midnight on January 7 it will pass into the constellation of Cetus, and after a while into the constellation of Aries. On January 8, the Moon will reach the constellation Taurus at a phase of 0.77. Here, on January 9, Aldebaran will once again be covered by the Moon at a phase of 0.88 (visibility in the Central Asian countries of the CIS, in southern Siberia and Primorye), and then the bright lunar disk will continue its path to the constellation Orion, which it will visit on January 11 in phase 0, 97. During this period, the night luminary rises to its greatest height above the horizon. In the constellation of Gemini, the Moon will spend January 11 and 12, taking the full moon phase here on January 12, and then moving into the constellation Cancer. Here the lunar oval will stay until January 14, then entering the constellation Leo at a phase of about 0.95. Having passed south of Regulus on January 15 (the occultation of the star when visible in South America), at a phase of about 0.9, the night luminary will continue to move through the expanses of the constellation Leo until January 17, when it reaches the constellation Virgo. Here, the Moon will enter the last quarter phase on January 19, showing off in the predawn sky near Jupiter and Spica. On January 20, a large lunar crescent will pass into the constellation Libra and travel through it until January 22, covering on that day at a phase of 0.3 the star Gamma Libra with a magnitude of 3.9m (visibility in Siberia). On the same day, the Moon will visit the constellation Scorpio with a phase of more than 0.2, then moving (already on January 23) into the constellation Ophiuchus. Having approached Saturn here in the morning sky on January 24, the thin crescent will enter the constellation of Sagittarius, where it will pass north of Mercury on January 26. The next day, the thinnest morning crescent will reach the constellation of Capricorn, where it will enter the new moon phase on January 28th. In the evening sky, the Moon will appear on January 29 already in the constellation of Aquarius, where the next race will cover Neptune on January 30 at a phase of 0.05. Perhaps this is the most successful coverage for observations in the sense that the brightness of the Moon will not interfere with observing both the occultation and the discovery of the planet. Unfortunately, this coverage will not be observed in Russia (the visibility band will pass through Africa and Central Asia). By the end of the day on January 31, the young month will move into the constellation Pisces at a phase of 0.15 and will finish its journey through the January sky near Venus against the background of the evening dawn.

Major planets of the solar system.

Mercury moves backward through the constellation Sagittarius, on January 8, changing the movement to a direct one. The planet is in the morning sky, and its visibility in the middle latitudes of the country exceeds half an hour. The western elongation of Mercury reaches its maximum value of 24 degrees on January 19, and then the fast planet begins its approach to the Sun and by the end of the month practically completes the morning visibility (in the middle latitudes of the country). The apparent diameter of the fast planet varies from 10 to 5 arc seconds during the month with increasing brightness from +3m to -0.2m. The phase increases from 0.0 to 0.8, i.e. Mercury, when observed through a telescope, has the form of a sickle, turning to a maximum elongation into a half-disk, and then into an oval. In May 2016, Mercury passed through the disk of the Sun, and the next passage will take place on November 11, 2019.

Venus moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Aquarius until January 23, when it passes into the constellation Pisces, where it will spend the rest of the described period. The Evening Star increases its angular distance to the east of the Sun until January 12, and on this day it will reach a maximum elongation exceeding 47 degrees (after which it will begin to decrease). With such an angular distance from the daylight, Venus can be observed with the naked eye even at noon. In the evening, the planet is visible in the twilight and night sky near the southwestern horizon (visibility up to 4 hours). The apparent diameter of Venus increases from 22 to 31 arc. sec., and the phase decreases from 0.57 to 0.40 at a brightness of about -4.7m. A half-disk is observed through a telescope, which turns into a sickle within a month.

Mars moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Aquarius, on January 19 passing into the constellation Pisces. On January 1, Mars will pass 1 arc minute south of Neptune. The planet is observed in the evening over the southwestern horizon for more than four hours. The brightness of the planet decreases from +0.9m to +1.1m, and the apparent diameter decreases from 5.7 to 5.1 arcsec. sec .. Mars is gradually moving away from the Earth, and the opportunity to see the planet near opposition will appear next year. Details on the surface of the planet (large) can be visually observed in an instrument with a lens diameter of 60 mm or more, and, moreover, photographically with subsequent processing on a computer.

Jupiter moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Virgo (near Spica). The gas giant is observed in the night and morning sky, increasing the duration of visibility to eight hours by the end of the described period. The angular diameter of the largest planet in the solar system increases from 35.5 to 38.9 arc. sec. at a brightness of about -2m. The disk of the planet is visible even with binoculars, and with a small telescope, stripes and other details are visible on the surface. Four large satellites are already visible through binoculars, and with a telescope in good visibility conditions, shadows from the satellites on the planet's disk can be observed. Information about satellite configurations is in this CN.

Saturn moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Ophiuchus. The ringed planet can be found in the morning sky above the southeastern horizon, and by the end of the month, its visibility will increase to almost two hours. The brightness of the planet is about +0.5m with an apparent diameter of about 15.5 arc. sec .. In a small telescope, you can observe the ring and satellite Titan, as well as some of the other brightest satellites. The visible dimensions of the planet's ring are on average 40x16 with an inclination of 27 degrees to the observer.

Uranus(5.9m, 3.4) moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces (near the star Zeta Psc with magnitude 5.2m). The planet is visible most of the night, rising quite high above the southern horizon around midnight. Uranus, rotating on its side, is easily detected with binoculars and search maps, and a telescope from 80 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 80 times and a transparent sky will help to make out its disk. With the naked eye, the planet can be seen during the periods of new moons in a dark clear sky, and such an opportunity will present itself at the beginning and at the end of the month. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness less than 13m.

Neptune(7.9m, 2.3) moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Aquarius near the star lambda Aqr (3.7m). The planet is visible in the night and evening sky. To search for a planet, you will need binoculars and star maps from the Astronomical calendar for 2017, and the disk is distinguishable through a telescope from 100 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 100 times (with a transparent sky). At the very beginning of the month, Mars will closely approach Neptune. The series of occultations of Neptune by the Moon continues. Photographically, Neptune can be captured with the simplest camera (even still) with a shutter speed of about 10 seconds. The satellites of Neptune have a brightness less than 13m.

From comets, visible in January from the territory of our country, at least two comets will have a calculated brightness of about 12m and brighter: Johnson (C/2015 V2) and P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova (45P). Comet P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova (45P) moves through the constellations of Capricorn and Aquarius. The brightness of the comet is about 8m. The celestial pilgrim Johnson (C/2015 V2) is moving through the constellation Bootes, with a brightness of about 11m. Details of the month's other comets (with charts and brightness predictions) are available at http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html and observations are available at http://cometbase.net/.

Among the asteroids the brightest in January will be Vesta (6.2m), reaching opposition in the middle of the month, and Ceres (8.6m). Vesta moves in the constellation of Cancer and Gemini, and Ceres in the constellation of the Whale and Pisces. In total, six asteroids will exceed the magnitude of 10m in January. Maps of the paths of these and other asteroids (comets) are given in the appendix to the KN (file mapkn012017.pdf). Information on occultations of stars by asteroids at http://asteroidoccultation.com/IndexAll.htm.

From relatively bright long-period variable stars(observed from the territory of Russia and the CIS) the brightness maximum this month according to AAVSO data was reached by: XGEM(8,2m) January 3, R VUL(8,1m) January 4, S SCL(6,7m) January 6, U ARI(8,1m) January 7, R PER(8,7m) January 8, S LAC(8,2m) January 11, R DEL(8,3m) January 15, RS SCO(7,0m) January 16, Scam(8,1m) January 18, RS VIR(8,1m) January 21, RT SGR(7,0m) January 23, V CMI(8,7m) January 25, S UMA(7,8m) January 25, S MIC(9,0m) January 25, ZCYG(8,7m) January 26, S LIB(8,4m) January 27, V BOO(7,0m) January 29th. More information at http://www.aavso.org/.

Clear skies and successful observations!

In January, the starry sky is especially beautiful. The winter constellations rise high and are quite curious in themselves, and contain many unique and interesting objects that can be observed with binoculars or a telescope. But in 2018, the astronomical calendar promises us many interesting moments. For example, at the end of the month we will be able to observe a total lunar eclipse.

In January, almost all winter constellations are perfectly visible. The constellation rises to an excellent height for observations in the evening, and there is something to see there, even with a small telescope. Sirius, the alpha of Canis Major, is clearly visible. The constellation with its beautiful clusters of Hyades and Pleiades adorns the sky.

The constellation also rises high above the horizon in the south. Pay attention to one of its brightest stars Castor - this is a sixfold system. The constellation is clearly visible below, and below - with bright Sirius. The "Great Winter Triangle", formed by the stars Betelgeuse, Sirius and Procyon, is perfectly visible.

In the north, the constellations Lyra and Cygnus descend to the horizon, the constellation Cepheus is visible a little higher. , on the contrary, goes up.

To the east rise the Northern Crown, Hercules and the Dragon. In the northeast, the constellation Bootes rises, in which a powerful meteor shower of Quadrantida is observed in early January.

Main events

January promises some interesting celestial phenomena worth taking a look at. So, for example, it will begin with a supermoon and a plentiful meteor shower (the Quadrantida meteor shower), and end with a total lunar eclipse.

The most important events (Moscow time):

1st of January- at 21:26 the Moon is at perigee, that is, at the point closest to the Earth, at a distance of 356,566 km.

January 2- at 5:04 full moon. The coincidence of a full moon and the moon at perigee is called a Supermoon. The moon is visible 14% more than usual and 30% brighter.

January 3- the maximum of the Quadrantida meteor shower in the constellation Bootes. About 120 meteors per hour.

January 3- The Earth will be at a minimum distance from the Sun - 147,100,184 km. This is 5 million kilometers less than the distance at aphelion. Therefore, on this day, the solar disk will be as large as possible, and this can be used for observations.

Jan. 7- from 04:00 close conjunction of Jupiter and Mars. Mars will pass 12' south of Jupiter near Alpha Libra.

January 15- at 02:11 the Moon is at its apogee, the distance from the Earth is 406,449 km. This will be the largest removal of the moon for the entire year.

January 27- Moon occultation of the Hyades and Aldebaran clusters. It can be seen in Siberia and the Far East.

January 31- total lunar eclipse, beginning at 16:14, ending at 16:48, peaking at 16:30. You can observe throughout Russia, except for the western and southwestern regions - because of the bright sky, the eclipse can only be seen in the final stage.

The moon in January will delight us with two events at once - the Supermoon on January 2 and the total eclipse on January 31. The next total eclipse will occur on July 27.

moon With January 1-5 observed in the night sky (January 5 - last quarter phase), 6-10 - in the morning (January 11 - new moon), 13-19 - in the evenings (January 19 - first quarter), and 22-31 - again at night (January 27 - full moon).

View of the sky and the position of the moon in January around 1-2 am
View for the middle latitudes of Russia

The article will help you navigate the star maps:
"How to use the star map"

THE PATH OF THE CIRCOPOLAR CONSTELLATIONS

Ladle Ursa Major begins its journey in the evening to the right of Ursa Minor, balancing on the handle of the Bucket, turns around during the night polar star counterclockwise by about 120 degrees, at the same time, rising higher and higher above the northeast, by the middle of the night it completely overturns the Bucket, approaching the zenith over polar star. By the morning Big Dipper moves to the northwestern part of the sky, scratching the zenith with a pen.

Starry sky in January from the northern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia:

In the evening around 23:00

Around 3 o'clock at night

Around 8 o'clock in the morning

The same turn is made by other circumpolar constellations. Cassiopeia, whose figure lines look like the letter "M" or "W", shines to the left in the evening sky Polar in the northwestern part of the sky, descending towards the northern horizon by morning (letter "W"). The Dragon with an easily distinguishable trapezoid Encircles the head in the evening Ursa Minor from below at the northern horizon, by morning climbing with its tail to the zenith above polar star. "House" Cepheus, located between Cassiopeia and dragon makes the same cycle around Polar on the left, moving to the northeastern part of the sky by morning.

The constellation is very noticeable over the northwestern horizon in the evenings. swan(in the form of a huge cross) with a bright star Deneb, and at the northernmost horizon a star sparkles Vega from the summer constellation Lyra.

FROM EVENING TO MORNING...

In the evening, the constellation begins its ascent over the eastern horizon. lion, and bright winter constellations sparkle over the south: Taurus, Gemini, Orion, Canis Major and Minor. The constellation leans to the west Pisces, with the planet moving on it Uranus, and Square Pegasus. At the zenith they sparkle Auriga with a bright star Chapel and constellation Perseus. High in the southwestern sky is located Andromeda(between Perseus and Pegasus). Under Andromeda two bright stars visible Aries. The constellation rises above the northeastern horizon Bootes with a bright orange star Arcturus.

The evening sky in January from the southern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
around 23:00:

The most beautiful constellation of the winter night is Orion. His figure with three stars in the Belt is hard to miss. Above and to the left Orion a pair of stars Castor and Pollux from Gemini, below them - a star Procyon from Small Dog, below and to the left Orion the brightest star in the entire sky shines low above the horizon Sirius from the constellation Big Dog. On right Orion swings at Taurus with bright Aldebaran who crowns Hyades(cluster of stars, similar to the horns of a bull). A significant addition to this abundance of luminaries in the winter of 2012-2013 was Jupiter shining a little higher Aldebaran.

Orion constellation over Loch Eske in Ireland


photo: Brendan Alexander

The night sky in January from the southern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
about 3 hours:

At night in the southeastern region of the sky is the trapezoid constellation lion with a bright star Regulus. Orange sparkles in the east Arcturus from the constellation Bootes. The constellation moves near the southern horizon Big Dog with the brightest star in the sky Sirius. The stars are shining in the southwest Orion, and high above the western horizon the planet Jupiter next to a bright orange star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus above them a star shines Chapel from Charioteer. In the northwest they come Andromeda With Aries, high above them accompanies them Perseus.

The morning sky in January from the southern horizon in the middle latitudes of Russia,
about 8 hours:

By morning, the southeastern region of the sky is selected Hercules co Ophiuchus. A star shines over the south spica constellations Dev s, here to the left of Spics located Saturn. Above Virgin located Bootes with a bright star Arcturus. Constellation lion now shining high over the southwest. At the zenith, directly overhead, is located Big Dipper and The Dragon. Constellations set in the northwest Gemini and Auriga. In the east, the constellations of the Summer Triangle begin their ascent: Swan, Lyra and Eagle.

DON'T MISS ON THE NIGHT SKY:

The bright galaxy M31 in the constellation Andromeda is visible in the evening sky above the western horizon. It is easily distinguishable even with binoculars as a large elongated foggy spot above the star ν Andromeda.

Andromeda Galaxy


photo: Martin Pugh

Jupiter in January continues to dominate the brightness of the night sky, shining brightly high above the horizon in the constellation of Taurus (just above Aldebaran). Even with simple binoculars you can see its four bright satellites - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, and with a telescope you can observe changes in the giant's cloud cover and the movements of a huge cyclone on the planet - the famous Great Red Spot (GRR).

Planet Jupiter through a telescope (North - bottom)


photo: Pavel Presnyakov

A magnificent scattering of Pleiades stars (M45), similar to a small bucket, is easily visible to the naked eye in the constellation Taurus throughout the night. Long exposures reveal luminous blue nebulae that envelop the stars.

Pleiades open star cluster


photo from astrogalaxy.ru

Of course, the main decoration of deep space is the Great Nebula of Orion (M42), which can be found even with binoculars. The middle star of the three "sheathed" under the Hunter's Belt appears surrounded by a blurred glowing gas cloud when magnified. This is an area of ​​intense star formation, a kind of stellar nursery.

Great Nebula Orion
(picture with a telescope):


photo: Svetlana Kulkova (Bratsk)

In the first days of the new year, the meteor shower Quadrantid shows its activity. The largest number of shooting stars (up to two hundred per hour) can be seen on the night of January 3-4, flying out of the constellation Bootes.

Follow our announcements of events in the sky.

Clear skies and exciting observations!