The constellation Canis Major, the Larger Dog, is well-placed in the evening sky. The constellation is following the footsteps of his
master, Orion the Hunter. And what better way to start the new year than with Sirius, the brightest star in the sky? It’s very easily found. Just follow the three stars of Orion’s belt down and this will lead you straight to it. Do not mix the bright star Sirius up with the planets Venus and Jupiter, which are bright as well, but are planets.
During the night you see as well the constellation Gemini, the Twins. Some interesting mornings to come. It is Last Quarter Moon on 2 January. The next day, the waning crescent Moon, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Spica are in the morning al together. While next week 6th January the Earthshine on the waning crescent Moon, Venus and Saturn can be seen together. The 4th of January there is the Quadrantid meteor shower. Have a look as well for comet Catalina after midnight. You will need binoculars to find the comet in the constellation Bootes.
Mercury is best seen in the constellation Sagittarius from as soon it is dark until it sets at 5.30 pm. The rest of the planets ae visible in the mornings. The bright planet Venus is best seen from 5.20 am onwards in the constellation Libra in the early morning. So is Mars from 2.20 am in the constellation Virgo. And so is Jupiter from 22.40 pm onwards in the constellation Leo. Last but not least, the planet with the rings Saturn is in the early morning from 6.20 am in the constellation Ophiuchus.
Wednesday 30 December
Today in 1924 the astronomer Edwin Hubble formally announces the existence of other galactic systems at meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
This morning at 8.20 am we have the latest Sunrise of the year for this Ashbourne area.
After midnight, you will need your telescope or binocular and watch Jupiter. At 0.38 am the Jupiter Moon Io reappears from its occultation.
At 6.08 am in the morning a rather bright Iridium flare appears in the North at an altitude of 43° in the constellation Cepheus. Iridium flares are bright flashes of a passing satellite. You can see them with the naked eye. Worth a watch and look in the direction indicated.
Watch the Moon very close to Jupiter before Sunset.
Thursday 31 December
Today in 1904 the first New Year's Eve celebration is held in Times Square in New York, then known as Longacre Square.
At 5.31 pm a very bright Iridium flare appears in the South at an altitude of 27° in the constellation Aquarius. Another very bright flare is about 2 minutes later, at 5.32 pm at the same spot or location in the sky.
The small planet Mercury is in dichotomy or half phase at 5.40 pm. The two inner planets, Mercury and Venus have phases just like our Moon.
At 11.25 pm the Moon is close to the planet Jupiter. The planet is about 8 lunar diameters away from the Moon. The Moon height is only 6° and the Moon phase is 62%. Look after these two a bit later when the altitude is higher. At 11.40 pm the Moon is close to the bright star Ups Leo. The distance to the Moon is about 5 lunar diameters. At midnight the Moon is close to the bright star called Zavijah. The distance is only about 1 lunar diameter.
After midnight, from 1.35 am onwards the comet Catalina will be visible in a smaller binocular and can be seen to about 6.30 am before twilight.
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is in transit on the giant planet's disc at 4.11 am.
Friday 1 January
Today in 1937 safety glass for windscreens was made mandatory in new vehicle manufacturing in Britain. It was known that in car accidents, ordinary glass would break into dangerous, jagged blades. Safety glass was made as a sandwich of clear, flexible plastic laminated between two layers of glass.
At midnight at 0.03 am the Great Red Spot transits the giant planet Jupiter.
Try to find the comet Catalina from 1.20 am onwards. The comet is in the constellation Bootes. The comet is now closer to the Moon at 33° and will be harder to find with a Moon phase of 52%.
The Moon is close to the brighter star Porrima in the constellation Virgo at about 2.25 am. The distance is about 3 lunar diameters. At 2.35 am the Moon is close to the star g29 Virginis. The distance is about 3 lunar diameters.
At 3.10 am the bright planet Venus is close to the bright star Graffias. They are only 57' separated or less than 2 lunar diameters. Worth a watch!
Get your telescope or binocular out. At 4.40 am the Jupiter Moon Io is in Eastern elongation or the furthest away from the planet. At 5.35 am the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its eclipse.
The Moon is in Last Quarter at 5.30 am. It is the smallest Last Quarter Moon of the last 10 years, the 3rd smallest of the next 10 years, the smallest of the year, and the 2nd smallest of the decade. The former smaller Last Quarter Moon was on 8 February 1999. The next smaller Last Quarter Moon is on 18 February 2017.
At 6 am and very bright Iridium flare appears in the North at an altitude of 40° in the constellation Cassiopeia.
The ISS appears at 7.41 am in the South South West. The culmination is at 7.46 am in the South East at 17° altitude. ISS disappears at 7.51 am in the East.
Saturday 2 January
Today in 1960 John Reynolds set the age of solar system at 4 950 000 000 years.
The Moon is in apogee at 11.53 am. The distance of the Moon to the Earth is 252647.6 miles or 404236.1 km.
The Sun is in perihelion at 10.49 pm. The distance of the Earth to the Sun is 0.9833 AU.
After midnight, at 1.44 am the Jupiter Moon Callisto reappears from its occultation. At 1.49 am the Jupiter Moon Io is in Western elongation.
Not that you will notice, but on Mars the summer begins on the Northern hemisphere.
At 3.35 am the bright star Spica is about 4.7° South of the Moon.
At 5.50 am the Great Red Spot will transit on the disk of the giant planet Jupiter.
An Iridium flare appears at 5.54 am in the North at an altitude of 39° in the constellation Cassiopeia.
At 6.24 am the Jupiter Moon Europa is in Eastern elongation.
ISS appears in the South South West at 6.49 am. Culmination is at 6.53 am in the South East at about 11° altitude. ISS disappears at 6.57 am in the East.
Sunday 3 January
Daytime and you will need a good telescope to watch - unless with a good zoom on the camera! ISS will cross the disk of the Moon at 8.27 am. The transit duration is only 0.80 seconds. So do not sneeze ... The altitude of the Moon is 25° and you will need a clear blue sky.
At 5.23 pm a bright Iridium flare appears in the South South West at an altitude of 24° and in the constellation Aquarius.
Look out in the mornings for this, but the closed the red planet Mars gets is only 1.5° South of the Moon and is at 6.45 pm.
At 11.46 pm the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its shadow crossing.
Comet Catalina is still visible with a binocular or small telescope. The comet can be seen from 0.40 am onwards in the constellation Bootes.
At 1.41 am the Great Red Spot will transit the giant planet Jupiter. At 2.09 am the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its transit. And at 2.36 am the Jupiter Moon Europa ends its shadow pass over the disc.
The Moon is close to the red planet Mars. Look at 2.40 am. They are about 8 lunar diameters separated now. The Lunar altitude is only 6° and the Moon phase is 33%.
At 3 am the small planet Mercury dims to magnitude 0. Look for Mercury in the early evenings.
At 4.54 am the Jupiter Moon Europa ends its transit.
A bright Iridium flare is visible at 5.48 am in the North at an altitude of 36° and in the constellation Cassiopeia.
At nearly 7 am it is time to watch the Earthshine on the Moon.
ISS appears at 7.31 am in the South West. Culmination is at 7.36 am in the South South East at an altitude of 27°. ISS disappears at 7.41 am in the East.
Monday 4 January
Today in 1958 the Russian Sputnik I satellite, the first man-made object to orbit the Earth, fell back into the atmosphere and disintegrated, after 92 days in space. The Sputnik (meaning “companion” or “fellow traveller”) was launched from Kazakhstan, formerly USSR. The craft circled the earth every 95 minutes at almost 20000 miles per hour and 500 miles above the Earth.
Try to spot comet Catalina after midnight. It is still in the constellation Bootes.
At 1.03 am the Jupiter Moon Europa is in Western elongation. And at 4.10 am the Jupiter Moon Ganymede begins its shadow crossing the Jupiter disc. And at 4.35 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins its eclipse.
ISS appears at 6.38 am in the South South West. Culmination is at 6.42 am in the South South East at 19° altitude. ISS disappears at 6.47 am in the East
Look out and make a nice picture of the Moon with Earthshine at about 7 am.
At 7.28 am the Great Red Spot is in transit over the Jupiter disc.
Finish off the morning with an Iridium flare at 7.44 am in the North North West at an altitude of 70° in the constellation Draco.
Tuesday 5 January
A bright Iridium flare appears at 6.37 pm in the South South East at an altitude of 35° in the constellation Cetus.
Not that you will notice, but at 7.34 pm the rotation axis of the Sun is straight up. Just that you know if somebody asks in the shopping streets of Ashbourne ...
Just before midnight at 11.54 pm, the Jupiter Moon Europa reappears from its occultation.
Look out for the comet Catalina from midnight onwards. Maybe you can see the comet with a binocular or small telescope. The comet is in the constellation Bootes.
After midnight at 1.56 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins its shadow. The actual transit of that Moon begins at 3.05 am and at 3.19 am the Great Red Spot transits the giant planet Jupiter.
Just that you know ... Pluto is in conjunction with the Sun. It is only 1.6° separated from the Sun. The distance to the Earth is 34.000 AU. One Astronomical Unit, AU is the average distance of the Earth to the Sun.
At 4.12 am the Jupiter Moon Io ends its shadow crossing.
The Moon is close to the star called Zuben Elakrab at nearly 5 am. They are about 8 lunar diameters separated. The altitude is only 6° and the Moon phase is 16%.
At 5.19 am the Jupiter Moon Io ends its transit.
ISS appears at 5.46 am in the South. The culmination is at 5.49 am in the South East at 13° altitude. ISS disappears at 5.54 am in the East.
Look out for the Earthshine on the Moon at about 7 am.
After one orbit of about 93 minutes, ISS appears again at 7.20 am in the West South West. Culmination this time is at 7.25 am in the South South East at 40°. ISS disappears at 7.30 am in the East.
Wednesday 6 January
An Iridium flare appears at 5.14 pm in the South South West at an altitude of 22° in the constellation Aquarius. Iridium flares are satellites in orbit around the Earth which can be observed with the naked eye. They pass in the sky and lights up by a sudden as a flare.
Get your telescope out or try to see with a binocular. At 11.04 pm the Jupiter Moon Io begins its eclipse. At 11.11 pm the Great Red Spot will transit the disc of the giant planet Jupiter.
The comet Catalina is visible with binoculars or smaller telescope from midnight onwards. The comet is in the constellation Bootes.
At 2.28 am the Jupiter Moon Io reappears from its occultation. At 5.13 am the Jupiter Moon Ganymede is in Western elongation, which means is at its furthest end of the planet. The Jupiter Moon Callisto is at about 6 am at the opposite side and in Eastern elongation.
The bright planet Venus is about 3° South of the Moon before Sunrise. Look in the mornings for this nice view and take some pictures. The Moon phase is only 9%.
The International Space Station, called ISS, appears in the morning skies at 6.29 am. ISS passes and is close to the bright star Spica. The separation is only 0.137°, so nearly crosses the star for our locations! Culmination or highest point in the sky is at 6.32 am. ISS disappears in the East at 6.37 am.
The Moon is close to the planet with the rings Saturn before Sunrise at 6.35 am. They are about 5 lunar diameters separated. Look for the Earthshine visible on the Moon. And on top of this all, just at Sun rise the bright planet Venus is close to the bright star Antares. They are 6° separated. A nice picture indeed!
Another Iridium flare appears at 7.32 am in the North North West at an altitude of 67° in the constellation Draco.
After one orbit of about 93 minutes, ISS appears again at 8.03 am in the West South West. Culmination is at 8.08 am in the South at an altitude of 65°. ISS disappears at 8.13 am in the East.
Get in touch with me via www.patrickpoitevin.weebly.com if you need more information.