Hey Space Placers!
Happy 2011 everybody! We start the new year with planets aplenty visible in the morning and evening skies. But first, be sure to join me and other astronomers at George Mason University (GMU) Observatory this year during our public observing sessions. The schedule is being established and GMU will have a new 32-inch telescope to “wow” you in the near future. I’ll post the link as soon as it is available.
Skywatching Highlights
The Earth reaches its closest approach to the Sun, or perihelion, for the year on January 3rd. We will be 91,407,000 miles from the Sun or 1.7% less than average.
Mercury provides an excellent opportunity to be easily seen, relatively speaking for Mercury, during the first two weeks of January. Mercury rises in the eastern sky almost two hours before dawn, making it well up an hour before dawn. To see Mercury, find a clear southeastern horizon and look for a golden-yellow “star”about a fist-width above th horizon starting at 6:30 a.m. On the 2nd, the thin crescent Moon will be just below Mercury.
Brilliant Venus continues to grace the dark morning sky in the southeast rising almost 4 hours before dawn as the month begins. On the 29th and 30th the Moon passes to the lower left of Venus. As the month progresses Venus will be getting lower to the horizon.
Mars cannot be seen.
Bright Jupiter is well up in the south at sunset and remains visible until about 11 p.m. as the month begins but sets by 9:30 p.m. by month’s end. The Moon passes to the right of Jupiter on the 9th and 10th. If you have binoculars or a telescope you can watch the four main moons of Jupiter change their position night after night.
Saturn rises in the eastern sky at 12:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day and at 10:30 p.m. by month’s end. The Moon passes below Saturn on the 25th. If you have a telescope be sure to check out the ringed planet as a large storm half the size of our entire planet is taking place high in Saturn’s clouds and should be visible in amateur telescopes – see my 12-28-10 blog.
New Moon is on the 4th, First Quarter Moon is on the 12th and this month’s Full Moon occurs on the 19th. This month’s Full Moon is called the “Full Wolf Moon” in recognition of the packs of wolves that hunt during the winter months. Last Quarter Moon is on the 26th.
Here are our down to Earth events for this month.
Open House at the Department of Astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus Observatory, will be at 8 p.m. on the 5th and the 20th.
Read More About It: http://www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse/index.html
The National Capital Astronomers (NCA) have their monthly meeting on the 8th at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus Observatory. The speaker is Ruben Kier, Best Targets for Winter Astrophotography. Read More About It: http://www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse/programs/NCA.html
The Northern Virginia Astronomy Club (NOVAC) will meet at 7 p.m. at George Mason University (GMU) on the 9th. The speaker is Gary Hand and he will be speaking on the topic of consumer optics.
Read More About It: http://www.novac.com/meetings.
The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) has Monday night tours but space is limited.
Read More About It: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/tours-events/tour-information
The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) has several space related activities this month.
Read More About It: http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/calendar.cfm.
The TriState Astronomers General Meeting will be held on the 19th, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at the William Brish Planetarium, Commonwealth Ave, Hagerstown, MD.
Read More About It: http://www.tristateastronomers.org/meetings.htm
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