2017 has arrived! With it, one of the coldest months for those of us in the northern hemisphere. Just because it's cold, doesn't mean there won't be any fun night sky targets to see. The night sky of January will be very similar to December.
To start the month off, Venus will again be easily visible due to its brightness. The moon and Venus will make a nice pair in the early part of January. Venus will appear brighter around the 12th this month, than it has in the past five years, so be sure to give it a look!
Mars will be found to the upper left of Venus during most of the month. It should be easy to spot due to its reddish orange color. It won't shine nearly as bright as Venus, but by using Venus as a pointer "star", you should have no trouble finding it. For those trying to learn the constellations (like me), Mars will be found in the constellation of Aquarius until the 18th, at which time it will move into the constellation of Pisces the Fish. These constellations will be easier to see if you are able to get away from the city lights. As a special observing target, Neptune will be found close to Mars on the night of the first. You will likely need a pair of binoculars or larger instrument and a dark sky to see Neptune.
By the 18th, when Mars and Venus swim over to Pisces the Fish, they will join Uranus, which has been found in Pisces since 2013. Like Neptune, you will need a pair of binoculars or larger instrument and a dark sky to see Uranus.
In the early morning hours, you will be able to see Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn. Jupiter will rise around 1 in the morning and will shine brighter than the other morning planets. Saturn will rise approximately an hour and half before the Sun during the first part of the month. Mercury will follow our largest planets in the solar system, rising just before the Sun.
January also brings the Quadrantid meteor shower. This shower will peak on January 3rd and will show up to 120 meteors per hour. This shower peaks after the moon has slipped below our horizon, which creates the perfect viewing conditions, as long as it is a clear night! This meteor shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Bootes which is found close to Ursa Major (The Big Dipper).
This is what you can see during the month of January:
January 1: Neptune and Mars will be less than a degree away from each other.
January 3: Quadrantid meteor shower peaks with up to 120 meteors per hour. Look towards Ursa Major (aka: The Big Dipper).
January 12: Full Moon
January 27: New Moon
Enjoy the cold month of January, and as always, please let me know what you see!
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