{"id":776318,"date":"2024-01-01T15:00:50","date_gmt":"2024-01-01T20:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=776318"},"modified":"2024-01-01T15:00:50","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T20:00:50","slug":"stargazing-calendar-for-january-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=776318","title":{"rendered":"Stargazing Calendar for January 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Messier
Messier 41 open cluster. Credit: NOIRLab \/ NSF \/ AURA. License: CC BY 4.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Embark on an enthralling journey through the cosmos with our comprehensive guide to stargazing in January 2024! This month, the skies are poised to offer a captivating display of celestial phenomena, from the Little Beehive Cluster\u2019s ascent to meteor showers and planetary rendezvous. Here\u2019s your exclusive calendar for an extraordinary stargazing experience in January 2024.<\/p>\n

Summary of Meteor Showers in January 2024<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. December Leonis Minorids<\/strong>: Start on December 5; peak on December 20; end on February 4.<\/li>\n
  2. Antihelion Source<\/strong>: Start on December 10; multiple peaks; end September 10.<\/li>\n
  3. Quadrantids<\/strong>: Start on December 26; peak on January 4; end on January 12.<\/li>\n
  4. \u03b3-Ursae Minorid<\/strong>: Start on January 15; peak on January 20; end on January 25.<\/li>\n
  5. \u03b1-Centaurids<\/strong>: Start on January 28; peak on February 8; end on February 21.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Summary of Conjunctions in January 2024<\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Conjunction of the\u00a0Moon and Venus<\/strong> in Scorpius and Ophiuchus on January 8.<\/li>\n
    2. Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury<\/strong> in Ophiuchus on January 9.<\/li>\n
    3. Conjunction of the Moon and Mars<\/strong> in Sagittarius on January 10.<\/li>\n
    4. Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn<\/strong> in Aquarius on January 14.<\/li>\n
    5. Conjunction of Venus and Ceres<\/strong> in Ophiuchus on January 16.<\/li>\n
    6. Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter<\/strong> in Aries on January 18.<\/li>\n
    7. Conjunction of Mercury and Mars<\/strong> in Sagittarius on January 27.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      January 2: Messier 41 Cluster at its highest point in the sky<\/h2>\n

      Messier 41 (also known as M41 or NGC 2287) is an open cluster sometimes referred to as The Little Beehive Cluster. The cluster will reach its highest point in the sky at around midnight local time. (See featured image at the top.)<\/p>\n

      M41 will be at apparent magnitude 4.5; too faint to be seen with the naked eye except for the very darkest sites with no light pollution. So a pair of binoculars or small telescope is recommended. Look in the constellation of Canis Major. The Moon will interfere somewhat because it will be 21 days old waning gibbous at 54%.<\/p>\n

      The cluster covers an area just a little larger than the size of the full Moon. It contains around 300 stars, but only 60 to 100 of them are visible through binoculars. (Source: Viewing the Constellations with Binoculars: 250+ Wonderful Sky Objects to See and Explore.) It is located 2300 light-years away and has a diameter of about 25\u201326 light-years.<\/p>\n

      \"Canis\"Canis
      Canis Major Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 2: The Earth at perihelion<\/h2>\n

      On this day, the Earth will reach its closest point to the Sun (perihelion) in its slightly elliptical orbit. We will be at a distance of 0.9833 AU from the Sun. The Earth\u2019s distance only varies by 3% over a year.<\/p>\n

      Although not really noticeable, the Sun will appear 3% larger in the sky. But don\u2019t look straight at the Sun without protecting your eyes!<\/p>\n

      January 4: Quadrantid meteor shower peak<\/h2>\n

      The Quadrantids are one of the largest meteor showers of the year with as many as 120 meteors per hour on average if conditions are ideal. Given that the Moon will be 23 days old (a waning crescent at 40%), those conditions won\u2019t be completely ideal due to a little bit of interference.<\/p>\n

      Some meteors can also be seen between December 26 and January 12. They will radiate from the constellation of Bo\u00f6tes at an average speed of 41 km\/s. More exactly, they will radiate from the former constellation of Quadrans Muralis, which included parts of Bo\u00f6tes and Draco. Even though the constellation is now obsolete, the meteor shower retains it\u2019s original name of Quadrantids.<\/p>\n

      \"Bootes\"Bootes
      Bootes Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 8: Conjunction of the Moon and Venus<\/h2>\n

      The Moon and Venus will reach conjunction passing 5\u00b042\u2032 withing each other while sharing the same right ascension.<\/p>\n

      The Moon will be at apparent magnitude -10.1 (a 27 days old waning crescent at 6%) in the constellation of Scorpius, and Venus at magnitude -4.0 in the neighboring constellation of Ophiuchus.<\/p>\n

      Interestingly, Mercury and Mars are also nearby and will be reaching their own conjunctions with the Moon in the following days.<\/p>\n

      \"Ophiuchus\"Ophiuchus
      Ophiuchus Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 9: Conjunction of the Moon and Mercury<\/h2>\n

      The Moon and Mercury will pass within 6\u00b035\u2032 of each other while sharing the same right ascension, in what is called a conjunction.<\/p>\n

      The two celestial bodies will be in the constellation of Ophiuchus, with the Moon at apparent magnitude -9.3, and Mercury at -0.3. The Moon will be a\u00a028 days old very thin waning crescent at 2%.\u00a0(Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of the Moon and Venus.)<\/p>\n

      As Mercury is always close to the Sun,\u00a0be very careful to not point binoculars or a telescope directly at the Sun. This can gravely damage your eyes, even resulting in permanent blindness.<\/p>\n

      January 10: Conjunction of the Moon and Mars<\/h2>\n

      The Moon and Mars will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 4\u00b009\u2032 of each other.<\/p>\n

      Look for the two bodies in the constellation of Sagittarius. The Moon will be a very thin waning crescent at 29 days old, very close to new moon. Despite this, the Moon will still be at apparent magnitude of -8.5, while Mars will be at magnitude 1.4.<\/p>\n

      \"Sagittarius\"Sagittarius
      Sagittarius Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 12: Mercury at greatest western elongation<\/h2>\n

      Mercury will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky, making it the best time to view the planet. Look for it low in the eastern sky just before sunrise. It will be at apparent magnitude -0.3 in the constellation of Sagittarius. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of the Moon and Mars.)\u00a0The Moon will not interfere as it will be only one day old, a very thin waxing crescent at\u00a04%.<\/p>\n

      January 14: Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn<\/h2>\n

      The Moon and Saturn will reach conjunction by passing within 2\u00b008\u2032 from each other while sharing the same right ascension.<\/p>\n

      Shortly after the conjunction, the Moon and Saturn will pass even closer to each other at 1\u00b056\u2032 during the appulse (close approach), but no longer sharing the same right ascension.<\/p>\n

      The two bodies will meet in the constellation of Aquarius with an apparent magnitude of -10.5 for the Moon and 0.8 for Saturn. The Moon will be a 3 days old waxing crescent at 15%.<\/p>\n

      \"Aquarius\"Aquarius
      Aquarius Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 16: Conjunction of Venus and Ceres<\/h2>\n

      Venus and Ceres will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 9\u201922\u201d of each other.<\/p>\n

      The two bodies will meet in the constellation of Ophiuchus with an apparent magnitude of -4.0 for Venus and 9.0 for Ceres. The Moon will be a 5 days old waxing crescent at 43%. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of the Moon and Venus.)<\/p>\n

      January 18: Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter<\/h2>\n

      The Moon and Jupiter will be at conjunction by sharing the same right ascension and passing within 2\u00b046\u2032 of each other.<\/p>\n

      At around the same time the two bodies will also make a close approach (appulse) reaching 2\u00b031\u2032 from each other, but not sharing the same right ascension.<\/p>\n

      The two celestial bodies will meet in the constellation Aries with the Moon at apparent magnitude of -12.1 and Jupiter at -2.5. The Moon will be 7 days old and waxing gibbous at 62%.<\/p>\n

      \"Aries\"Aries
      Aries Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 19: Asteroid 354 Eleonora at opposition<\/h2>\n

      Asteroid 354 Eleonora will reach opposition, when it lies opposite to the Sun in the sky. It will reach the highest point in the sky around midnight local time.<\/p>\n

      On this occasion, 354 Eleonora will pass within 1.55 AU of Earth and reach a peak brightness of magnitude 9.5. Unfortunately even at the peak, this asteroid will be too faint to observe with the naked eye. You will need at least a 4 inch telescope, which you should point towards the constellation of Canis Minor. The Moon will be 8 days old and waxing gibbous at 76%.<\/p>\n

      Eleonora was discovered by French astronomer Auguste Charlois in 1893. It is a large S-type main-belt asteroid at about 149 km in mean diameter. It orbits the Sun at 2.7996 AU (semi-major axis) which takes 4.684 years to complete. (Source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database Lookup for 354 Eleonora.)<\/p>\n

      \"Canis\"Canis
      Canis Minor Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 20: \u03b3-Ursae Minorid meteor shower peak<\/h2>\n

      The Gamma Ursae Minorids will peak with a zenithal hourly rate of 3 meteors if conditions are optimal. Unfortunately that won\u2019t quite be the case as the Moon will offer some interference. It will be 8 days old and waxing gibbous at 75%.<\/p>\n

      Some meteors may also be spotted between January 15 and January 25. They will radiate from the constellation of Ursa Minor at the speed of 31 km\/s on average.<\/p>\n

      \"Ursa\"Ursa
      Ursa Minor Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 20:\u00a0Close approach of the Moon and the Pleiades<\/h2>\n

      The Moon and the Pleiades (also known as M45 or Messier 45) will make a close approach, passing within only 45.5 arcminutes of each other.<\/p>\n

      Both objects will be in the constellation of Taurus with the Moon being at apparent magnitude -12.4; and the Pleiades at 1.3. The Moon will be 9 days old and waxing gibbous at 79%.<\/p>\n

      \"Taurus\"Taurus
      Taurus Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      January 27: Conjunction of Mercury and Mars<\/h2>\n

      Mercury and Mars will pass within only 14 arcminutes of each other while sharing the same right ascension, in what is called a conjunction.<\/p>\n

      Both planets will be visible in the constellation of Sagittarius, with the Mercury at apparent magnitude -0.2, and Mars at 1.3. The Moon will be 16 days old waning gibbous at 94%. (Constellation map already displayed above, when discussing the conjunction of the Moon and Mars.)<\/p>\n

      January 31: Beehive Cluster at its highest point in the sky<\/h2>\n
      \"Beehive\"Beehive
      Beehive Cluster (M44 or NGC 2632). Photo by Fried Lauterbach. License: CC BY-SA 4.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      The Beehive Cluster will reach its highest point in the sky at around midnight local time, making it a good time to observe it. At an apparent magnitude of 3.1, it is very hard to spot with the naked eye, so binoculars or a telescope are recommended. There will be some interference from the Moon because it will be 20 days old waning gibbous at\u00a062%. Look in the constellation of Cancer.<\/p>\n

      The Beehive Cluster is also known as Praesepe<\/em> (manger or crib in Latin) as well as under the designations of M44, Messier 44, NGC 2632, or Cr 189. It has been known since antiquity and Ptolemy mentioned it in his writings.<\/p>\n

      It is an open cluster about 610 light-years away including about a thousand stars. Interestingly two exoplanets have been discovered in this cluster in 2012.<\/p>\n

      \"Cancer\"Cancer
      Cancer Constellation Map. Credit: IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg). License: CC BY 3.0.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Moon Phases in January 2024<\/h2>\n

      As you know, the Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies in the night sky. So here are the Moon\u2019s phases for this month:<\/p>\n

      \"Moon\"Moon
      January 2024 Moon phases calendar. Credit: Astronomy Club of Akron.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Positions of the Planets in January 2024<\/h2>\n

      Mercury:<\/strong> The closest planet to the Sun can be seen at dawn and dusk travelling across the constellation of Ophiuchus and then Sagittarius later in the month. This planet, being the closest to the Sun, will appear to move quickly in the night sky and its position will change in the following weeks.<\/p>\n

      Venus:<\/strong> The sister planet can be seen travelling across the constellation of Scorpius and Ophiuchus. Just like Mercury, Venus can only be seen at dawn and dusk.<\/p>\n

      Mars:<\/strong> The red planet can be seen in the constellation of Sagittarius.<\/p>\n

      Jupiter:<\/strong>\u00a0The gas giant is visible in the constellation of Aries. Jupiter can easily be spotted with the naked eye, even in highly illuminated cities.<\/p>\n

      Saturn:<\/strong>\u00a0The ringed giant can be seen with the naked eye in the constellation of Aquarius.<\/p>\n

      Uranus:<\/strong>\u00a0The ice giant can be seen in the constellation of Aries with the use of a telescope.<\/p>\n

      Neptune:<\/strong> The blue giant requires a telescope pointed in the constellation of Pisces in order to be seen.<\/p>\n

      Positions of Dwarf Planets and Large Asteroids in January 2024<\/h3>\n

      Ceres:<\/strong>\u00a0The\u00a0asteroid belt\u2019s lone dwarf planet can be seen in the constellation of Ophiuchus with the help of a telescope.<\/p>\n

      Vesta:<\/strong> This large asteroid can be seen in the constellation of Taurus with a telescope.<\/p>\n

      Pallas:<\/strong> The asteroid can be observed with a telescope in the constellation of Serpens.<\/p>\n

      Pluto:<\/strong>\u00a0This distant dwarf planet can be found in the constellation of Sagittarius with the help of a large telescope.<\/p>\n

      Major astronomical events next month \u2013 February 2024<\/h2>\n