Monthly Night Sky information provided by Chris Vaughan (@Astrogeoguy) at Starry Night Education (@StarryNightEdu).
On early-January evenings, the constellation of Auriga, the Charioteer is positioned high in the eastern sky. The constellation is dominated by the very bright (magnitude 0.05), yellow, sun-like star Capella, nick-named the Goat Star. Look several finger widths to the right (or 4 degrees to the celestial south) of Capella for a narrow, sideways triangle […]
The three stars in Orion’s belt may look the same at a glance, but they are actually quite different under closer inspection. Magnitude 1.85 Alnitak (Zeta Orionis) on the left and magnitude 1.65 Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis) in the center shine at almost the same brightness, though Alnilam is almost twice as far away. The magnitude […]
Skywatchers in the Americas on Thursday evening, January 9 can watch the orbital motion of the bright, 82%-illuminated gibbous moon carry it through the Pleiades star cluster (aka Messier 45, Subaru, and the Seven Sisters). In the Eastern Time zone, the event will last from about 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EST (or 00:00 to […]
On Friday, January 10, Venus will officially reach its widest separation of 47 degrees east of the sun. Viewed in a telescope (inset), the planet will exhibit a half-illuminated phase. For best results, observe Venus during evening twilight when the contrast between the bright planet and the surrounding sky is lower. After Friday, our sister […]
