January Calendar by Dave Mitsky

All times are UT (subtract five hours, and one calendar day when appropriate, for EST)

1/2 The Moon occults the second magnitude star El Nath (Beta Tauri) for observers in northern South America and the southern Caribbean at 1:00; a maximum lunar libration of 8.0 degrees occurs at 18:00
1/3 The Quadrantid meteor shower (40 or more per hour) peaks at 1:00; Full Moon (known as the Ice Moon, the Moon After Yule, the Old Moon, and the Wolf Moon) occurs at 13:57; the Earth is at perihelion (147,093,630 kilometers distant from the Sun), at 20:00
1/5 Jupiter is 5 degrees north the first magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) at 4:00; the Moon is 1.8 degrees north of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Prasepe) in Cancer at 10:00
1/6 Saturn (magnitude 0.4) is 0.9 degree south of the Moon - an occultation is visible from northeastern Europe and Siberia - at 18:00
1/7 The Moon is 1.2 degrees north of the first magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) - an occultation is visible from western Russia and northeastern Europe - at 5:00; Mercury is in superior conjunction with the Sun at 6:00
1/9 A minimum lunar libration of 1.5 degrees occurs at 13:00
1/10 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'33" from a distance of 404,334 kilometers, at 16:25
1/11 Last Quarter Moon occurs at 12:45; the Moon is 1.1 degrees south of the first magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) - an occultation is visible from the southeastern Indian Ocean and Antarctica - at 20:00
1/15 The Moon is 0.5 degree south of Antares - an occultation is visible from southern Africa, southern Chile, and Patagonia - at 13:00; Jupiter is 6 degrees north of the Moon at 17:00
1/16 A maximum lunar libration of 8.7 degrees occurs at 7:00
1/17 Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south today; a double Galilean satellite shadow transit (the shadow of Ganymede followed by Io’s) begins at 0:52 and ends at 2:36; Mars is 5 degrees north of the Moon at 2:00
1/18 Mars is 0.5 degree north of the bright emission nebula M8 (the Lagoon Nebula) at 4:00; Venus is 1.4 degrees south of Neptune at 18:00
1/19 Venus is at its greatest heliocentric latitude south today; New Moon (lunation 1040) occurs at 4:01
1/20 Neptune is 2.0 degrees north of the Moon at 13:00; Venus (magnitude -3.3) is 0.8 degree north of the Moon - an occultation is visible from southwestern Africa, most of Antarctica, and the southernmost portion of South America - at 17:00
1/22 Uranus is 0.4 degree north of the Moon - an occultation is visible from Japan, the Philippine Islands, Indonesia, and the eastern Indian Ocean - at 6:00; the Moon is at perigee, subtending 32'34" from a distance of 366,927 kilometers, at 12:31; a minimum lunar libration of 0.5 degree occurs at 18:00
1/24 A double Galilean satellite shadow transit (the shadow of Io followed by Ganymede’s) begins at 4:30 and ends at 4:58
1/25 The First Quarter Moon occurs at 23:01
1/27 The Moon is 0.9 degree north of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades) in Taurus - an occultation is visible from northern Europe - at 17:00
1/28 Asteroid 1 Ceres is approximately 19' south of the third magnitude star Skat (Delta Aquarii) at 6:00
1/29 The Moon occults El Nath for observers in the central Pacific Ocean and Hawaii at 9:00; a maximum lunar libration of 8.3 degrees occurs at 13:00

Bright moonlight from the Full Moon will severely compromise the Quadrantid meteor shower on the night of January 3. The radiant of the Quadrantids is the constellation of Boötes. The shower can sometimes reach zenithal hourly rates as high as 120 meteors per hour.

The Moon is at its greatest declination north of +28 degrees on January 2 and January 29 and greatest declination south of -28 degrees on January 16. Times and dates for the lunar crater light rays predicted to occur this month are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm

Data (magnitude, apparent size, illumination, location, distance from the Earth in astronomical units) for the planets and Pluto on January 1: Mercury (-1.1, 4.7", 99%, Sagittarius, 1.4 a.u.), Venus (-3.9, 10.3", 96%, Sagittarius, 1.6 a.u.), Mars (1.5, 3.9", 99%, Ophiuchus, 2.4 a.u.), Jupiter (-1.8, 31.9", 100%, Ophiuchus, 6.2 a.u.), Saturn (0.2, 19.7", 100%, Leo, 8.4 a.u.), Uranus (5.9, 3.4", 100%, Aquarius, 20.6 a.u.), Neptune (8.0, 2.2", 100%, Capricornus, 30.8 a.u.), and Pluto (14.0 magnitude, 0.1", 100% illuminated, Sagittarius, 32.2 a.u.).

In the latter part of January, Mercury can be seen very low in the southwest during evening twilight. On January 22, Mercury (magnitude -1.1) is 10 degrees to the southwest of Venus (magnitude -3.9). By January 31, Mercury lies only 7 degrees to the southwest of the brightest planet.

Venus is 6 degrees high a half hour after the Sun sets on January 1. It sets at 7:00 p.m. EST in the middle of January for observers at our latitude of 40 degrees north. As the month progresses, the planet continues to improve in visibility. It is situated 10 degrees above the southwestern horizon at the end of January and can be seen for nearly two hours after sunset.

When the Earth reaches perihelion on January 3, it is closer to the Sun (0.9832602 a.u.) than it will be from 1996 to 2020.

Mars leaves Ophiuchus and enters Sagittarius on January 11. At midmonth, it rises in the southeast at 6:00 a.m. EST. The Red Planet crosses between M8 (the Lagoon Nebula) and M20 (the Trifid Nebula) on the nights of January 17 and January 18. It is located 3 degrees north of the second magnitude star Nunki (Sigma Sagittarii) at month’s end. Mars is a morning planet for most of 2007.

In mid-January, Jupiter is above the southeastern horizon by 4:00 a.m. EST. On January 9, Jupiter is 5 degrees north of Antares. Jupiter’s eastward motion carries it to almost 7 degrees from the Rival of Mars by the end of the month. For the first eleven months of the year, Jupiter is located in Ophiuchus. See http://skytonight.com/observing/obje...t/3307071.html for data on Galilean satellite events.

Saturn rises at 7:00 p.m. EST and crosses the meridian at 2:00 a.m. EST at midmonth. The southern side of its rings is tilted towards the Earth at an angle of 12.6 degrees. (The inclination angle increases to 15.4 degrees in mid-April and decreases to 6.6 degrees by the middle of December.) Saturn’s brightest satellite, Titan (magnitude 8.4), is due north of the planet on January 3 and January 19. It passes due south of Saturn on January 11 and January 27. Iapetus, whose brightness increases five fold to tenth magnitude when it is at western elongation, is due east or west of Saturn by the listed separations on the following dates: January 6 (4" east), January 10 (10" west), January 14 (22" west), January 18 (32" west), January 24 (40" west), and January 30 (38" west). It is north of Saturn on the nights of January 5, January 6, and January 7. Iapetus shines at 10.1 when it reaches western elongation on January 26. The magnitudes of the Ringed Planet’s other major satellites are currently the following: Rhea (magnitude 9.7), Tethys (magnitude 10.3), Dione (magnitude 10.4), and Enceladus (magnitude 11.8). For additional information on the satellites of Saturn, browse http://skytonight.com/observing/obje...t/3308506.html

Uranus can still be seen immediately after dark in early January. It is situated low in the southwest about one degree northeast of the fourth magnitude star Lambda Aquarii.

Neptune is lost in the glow of sunset during January.

Pluto is also not observable this month.

The periodic comet 4P/Faye leaves northern Cetus and heads eastward into the southwestern portion of Taurus during January. The tenth magnitude comet is approximately one degree north of the magnitude 2.5 star Menkar (Alpha Ceti) from January 9 through January 11.

Asteroid 7 Iris traverses Aries during the course of the month and enters Taurus just to the southwest of M45 (the Pleaides) at the end of January. Discovered by the English astronomer John Hind in 1847, Iris decreases in magnitude from 8.2 to 9.0 this month. The seventh known asteroid passes south of the somewhat brighter field star HIP 15381 on the night of January 20.

When it reaches opposition on the night of January 29, the asteroid 20 Massalia (magnitude 8.4) is located 3 degrees south of the center of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive Cluster or Prasepe) in Cancer.

Asteroid 372 Palma (magnitude 10.5) occults 32 Lyncis (magnitude 6.3) on the morning of January 26. For further information on what will be the best asteroid occultation of 2007, see http://www.asteroidoccultation.com/2...6_372_8206.htm

One hundred and five binary and multiple stars for January: Omega Aurigae, 5 Aurigae, Struve 644, 14 Aurigae, Struve 698, Struve 718, 26 Aurigae, Struve 764, Struve 796, Struve 811, Theta Aurigae (Auriga); Struve 485, 1 Camelopardalis, Struve 587, Beta Camelopardalis, 11 & 12 Camelopardalis, Struve 638, Struve 677, 29 Camelopardalis, Struve 780 (Camelopardalis); h3628, Struve 560, Struve 570, Struve 571, Struve 576, 55 Eridani, Struve 596, Struve 631, Struve 636, 66 Eridani, Struve 649 (Eridanus); Kappa Leporis, South 473, South 476, h3750, h3752, h3759, Beta Leporis, Alpha Leporis, h3780, Lallande 1, h3788, Gamma Leporis (Lepus); Struve 627, Struve 630, Struve 652, Phi Orionis, Otto Struve 517, Beta Orionis (Rigel), Struve 664, Tau Orionis, Burnham 189, h697, Struve 701, Eta Orionis, h2268, 31 Orionis, 33 Orionis, Delta Orionis (Mintaka), Struve 734, Struve 747, Lambda Orionis, Theta-1 Orionis (the Trapezium), Theta-2 Orionis, Iota Orionis, Struve 750, Struve 754, Sigma Orionis, Zeta Orionis (Alnitak), Struve 790, 52 Orionis, Struve 816, 59 Orionis, 60 Orionis (Orion); Struve 476, Espin 878, Struve 521, Struve 533, 56 Persei, Struve 552, 57 Persei (Perseus); Struve 479, Otto Struve 70, Struve 495, Otto Struve 72, Struve 510, 47 Tauri, Struve 517, Struve 523, Phi Tauri, Burnham 87, Xi Tauri, 62 Tauri, Kappa & 67 Tauri, Struve 548, Otto Struve 84, Struve 562, 88 Tauri, Struve 572, Tau Tauri, Struve 598, Struve 623, Struve 645, Struve 670, Struve 674, Struve 680, 111 Tauri, 114 Tauri, 118 Tauri, Struve 730, Struve 742, 133 Tauri (Taurus)

Challenge binary star for January: 14 Orionis (Orion)

Seventy deep-sky objects for January: B26-28, B29, M36, M37, M38, NGC 1664, NGC 1778, NGC 1857, NGC 1893, NGC 1907, NGC 1931 (Auriga); IC 361, Kemble 1, NGC 1501, NGC 1502, NGC 1530, NGC 1569 (Camelopardalis); NGC 1507, NGC 1518, NGC 1531, NGC 1532, NGC 1535, NGC 1537, NGC 1600, NGC 1637, NGC 1659, NGC 1700 (Eridanus); IC 418, M79, NGC 1832, NGC 1888, NGC 1964 (Lepus); B33, Cr65, Cr69, Cr70, IC 434, M42, M43, M78, NGC 1662, NGC 1973-75-77, NGC 1981, NGC 1999, NGC 2022, NGC 2023, NGC 2024, NGC 2112 (Orion); Be11, NGC 1491, NGC 1496, NGC 1499, NGC 1513, NGC 1528, NGC 1545, NGC 1548, NGC 1579, NGC 1582, NGC 1605, NGC 1624 (Perseus); DoDz3, DoDz4, M1, Mel 25, NGC 1514, NGC 1587, NGC 1647, NGC 1746, NGC 1807, NGC 1817 (Taurus)

Challenge deep-sky object for January: IC 2118 (Eridanus)

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