The new year brings with it a whole new list of events to experience throughout the year. Now we may only get a few clear January winter nights but there are plenty of events to witness. January is a cold but object-packed month to observe the cosmos because our nights are still long giving us plenty of opportunities to spot celestial wonders. Our cold temperatures mean that the atmosphere is a little steadier and if cold enough all the water has frozen out of the sky making for very clear nights, both of which improve visibility and provide better conditions for astronomical observations.
No matter your observing experience or equipment, January 2024 provides many impressive astronomy events to kick off the new year. So, bundle up, grab your eyeballs, binoculars, or telescope, and enjoy the celestial objects contained in this month’s night sky.
January 02 at 16:38 PST: The Earth is at Perigee our closest distance to the Sun!
The Earth’s orbit is elliptical, which means that its distance to the Sun changes during the year. The difference in the Earth-Sun distance between the orbital apogee and perigee is only about 3 million miles (5 million km) and is not the reason why we have seasons. In fact, if you were to look at the ellipse (oval) described by the path of our orbit around the sun, you would be hard-pressed to tell it was not a perfect circle! The reason why we have seasons is because of the Earth’s tilt. Below is the actual shape of the Earth's orbit!
January 03 at 19:31 PST: THIRD QUARTER MOON
The moon is now three-quarters along on its monthly journey around us and it shows as a half-illuminated orb with the left side getting the illumination.
January 04 at 21:20 PST: Quadrantid meteor shower peak.
The annual Quadrantid meteor shower reaches its peak at 04:53 PST. The peak will most likely only last for a few hours so make sure to be prepared. You will most likely only see 10-15 meteors total because of the third-quarter moon (rising at 00:18 PST on the 5th) interfering with your observation. This is one of the few meteor showers with the potential to cause a “meteor storm” where you could see up to 100 meteors per hour!
January 08 at 05:38 PST: Antares, Moon Occultation!
The star Antares, known for its reddish hue, will have the Moon pass in front of it just after Moonrise. An Occultation is the passage of one celestial body in front of another. This is not rare, but it is also not frequent. Be advised, your local horizon may not allow you to witness the disappearance at 5:38 A.M. but you could see the reappearance at 6:49 A.M. At the disappearance, Mars will be on the left side of the waning crescent moon and will reappear over an hour later on the shadowed right side of the Moon. With the Sun rising just 45 minutes later (7:34 A.M.) the dawn twilight may hinder viewing the reappearance. A pair of 10X50 binoculars would be very beneficial to get the most enjoyment out of this event.
January 11 at 03:57 PST: NEW MOON
With the Moon not visible in the sky, it’s the perfect time to observe faint celestial bodies. Without moonlight, the sky is at its darkest.
January 17 at 19:53 PST: FIRST QUARTER MOON
The Moon is now half illuminated and you’ll be able to see some nice detail along the terminator – the line dividing the day and night sides of the Moon.
January 17 at 23:45 PST: Lunar “X” and “V” Becoming Visible.
They are optical features on the moon, visible through small telescopes (at 50x). So, when the moon’s terminator – or line between light and dark on the moon – is located in just the right place, you can see a letter X and a letter V on the moon’s surface. The Lunar X and V are great examples of how lighting and topography can combine on our moon to produce a pattern that seems familiar to the human eye.
In reality, the illusion of the Lunar X is created by sunlight falling on the rims/ridges between the craters La Caille, Blanchini, and Purbach. The V is caused by the sun’s light illuminating crater Ukert, along with several smaller craters.
January 18 at 17:00 PST: Jupiter: 4°
Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, makes a close pass by the Moon, offering a great opportunity to observe and photograph the two together.
January 20 at 20:00 PST: Pleiades 7°W of Moon
The Moon makes a fairly close pass to the Pleiades, an open star cluster also known as the Seven Sisters. With binoculars, you should be able to see the cluster near the Moon.
January 25 at 09:54 PST: FULL MOON
Full Moon phase, the moon is fully illuminated as seen from Earth. This might wash out some fainter stars, but the Moon itself is a great target for observation. This full moon is known as the Wolf Moon because wolves are active in January and howl on cold nights.
Cheers,
