Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky -- Month of January 2024
The Horsehead Nebula IC434 (on the right) and Flame Nebula NGC 2024 (on the left) -- Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, a magnificent interstellar dust cloud by chance has assumed a strange, but very recognizable horse head shape. Fittingly named the Horsehead Nebula, it is some 1500 light-years away, embedded in the vast Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, a very productive star-forming region. About five light-years "tall," the dark cloud is visible only because its obscuring dust is silhouetted against the glowing red emission nebula IC 434. The Flame Nebula on the left side of the image is also a part of the Orion Cloud Complex. The bright star Alnitak, the easternmost star in the Belt of Orion visible just to the right of the nebula, shines energetic light into the Flame and makes it glow. [Video and Content Credits: NASA, the Office of Public Outreach – Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), JPL – Caltech, Preston Dyches, Christopher Harris, and Lisa Poje with subject matter guidance provided by Bill Dunford, Gary Spiers, Lyle Tavernier, and Molly Wasser] [Image Credit: Frank Barrett, Astromart Gallery Contributor - https://www.astromart.com/gallery/user/349 ]
Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky -- Month of January 2024
Happy New Year and welcome to the night sky report for January 2024 -- Your guide to the constellations, deep sky objects, planets, and celestial events that are observable during the month. The January sky is filled with bright stars in the constellations Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Canis Major, and Canis Minor. Find these cosmic gems by looking toward the southeast in the first few hours after it gets dark. The northern hemisphere also features beautiful views of Capella - a pair of giant yellow stars, Aldebaran - a red giant star, two star clusters - the Hyades (Caldwell 41) and the Pleiades (M45), and the Crab Nebula (M1, NGC 1952). The moderate Quadrantid meteor shower is active from Dec. 28 to Jan. 12, and peaks overnight on Jan. 4th. The Moon will wash out faint meteors, but the shower often produces bright fireball meteors. The night sky is truly a celestial showcase. Get outside and explore its wonders from your own backyard.
The year kicks off with the Quadrantid meteor shower, which peaks after midnight on January 4th. Light from the third-quarter moon will brighten the sky on the peak night, causing fainter meteors to be lost from view. But the shower does produce a decent number of bright meteors called fireballs, so it can still be worth your time. If viewing from a dark sky location, you may see 20-25 meteors per hour at the peak. You can catch a few meteors in the few days before or after, as well. In fact, the shower is active through around January 12th, so you might catch a fireball in the week after the peak when the Moon has moved out of the predawn sky.
On January 8th, in the hour before sunrise, look for brilliant Venus rising with a slim crescent Moon in the southeast. Bright star Arcturus hangs high above them. The Moon will appear quite close to the red giant star Antares, the fiery red heart of Scorpius, that morning. And for observers in parts of the Western USA, the Moon will actually occult, or pass in front of, Antares as the pair are rising that morning. And if you have a view of the horizon, this is also good morning to spot Mercury before the sky brightens. It's quite low, but rises above 10 degrees off the horizon as dawn warms the sky, and it will be shining even brighter than Arcturus.
Next up, the crescent moon visits Saturn on Jan. 13th and 14th. You'll find the pair in the southwest for a couple of hours following sunset both nights. Then the Moon pairs up with Jupiter in the evening on the 17th and 18th. This is actually a great week to pull out the telescope or binoculars, because as soon as it's fully dark, you can work your way across the sky, starting with Jupiter and its moons, our own Moon, the Pleiades, Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster, and the Orion Nebula.
One of the things that makes skywatching so interesting is that the sky is always changing. The stars rise in the east and set in the west each night. The Moon gradually waxes and wanes as it goes through its monthly cycle. And likely you've also noticed that which stars you can see on a given night changes slowly over the course of the year. The bright stars and constellations we see on warm summer nights are not the ones that fill the chilly sky in winter.
This is because the stars rise 4 minutes earlier each day, and it adds up over time. In just one week, a given star will rise 28 minutes earlier than it does tonight. And in 1 month, the same star will be rising about 2 hours earlier. So at 4 minutes per day, or 2 hours per month, after 6 months, the stars of summer are rising a full 12 hours earlier than they did back in June, placing them high in the daytime sky. But in their place, the evening sky belongs to the stars of winter.
This slow-motion cycle in the sky plays out annually as Earth moves in its orbit around the Sun. Our view outward into space during the night depends on where Earth is in its orbit. At one part of the year, our view of space from Earth's night side looks in one direction, and six months later the view is in the opposite direction. And so our nighttime view of the cosmos changes over the course of the year, because the stars aren't moving -- We are. And that change happens at a pace of 4 minutes per day.
January nights are filled with bright stars. Looking toward the south or southeast in the first few hours after dark, you'll spy the bright constellations of winter in the Northern Hemisphere: Of course there's Orion the hunter; the big dog constellation Canis Major; and the lesser known little dog, Canis Minor with its bright star Procyon. Y-shaped Taurus, the bull, includes the bright Hyades and Pleiades star clusters. And just east of Orion, you'll find the bright stars Castor and Pollux, which form the heads of the twins in Gemini. Make sure you take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the January sky, which more than meets the definition of "star studded," with so much to marvel at.
Orion the hunter is the centerpiece constellation in January, striding into the night sky with a belt of three stars. Above Orion lies a five-sided figure that forms Auriga, the charioteer, who was associated with goats. Its brightest star is Capella, which is actually a pair of giant yellow stars.
Auriga balances on a horn of Taurus the bull. In Greek mythology, Taurus was seen as the god Zeus in disguise. His eye is orange Aldebaran, a red giant star nearing the end of its life. A number of the stars that form the bull’s V-shaped head are part of a star cluster called the Hyades.
The bull’s shoulder is marked by the distinctive Pleiades star cluster, also called the Seven Sisters. The cluster contains more than 250 stars, but only six or seven are visible to the naked eye. The view of the Pleiades from the Palomar Observatory shows the brightest stars surrounded by a dusty cloud. The dust reflects the blue light of these hot stars.
At the tip of Taurus’s horn lies the Crab Nebula. The Crab is the remains of a star that exploded as a supernova, observed by Chinese, Japanese, and Arab astronomers in 1054. Telescopes on the ground and in space have observed different forms of light given off by the Crab Nebula. Different wavelengths of visible and invisible light reveal details of the supernova remnant. Combining information from different wavelengths helps us to better understand the expanding cloud of glowing gas and the spinning neutron star that remains at its core.
The night sky is always a celestial showcase. Explore its wonders from your own backyard.
The following Deep Sky Objects are found in constellations that peak during the month. Some can be viewed with a small telescope, but the majority will require a moderate to large telescope. The following is adapted from my personal viewing list: "The Guy Pirro 777 Best and Brightest Deep Sky Objects."
Constellation: Auriga
IC 405 Diffuse Nebula C31 Flaming Star Nebula
IC 2149 Planetary Nebula P126
NGC 1664 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H59-8
NGC 1778 Open Cluster P68
NGC 1857 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H33-7
NGC 1883 Open Cluster P211
NGC 1893 Open Cluster P69
NGC 1907 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H39-7
NGC 1912 Open Cluster M38
NGC 1931 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H261-1
NGC 1960 Open Cluster M36
NGC 2099 Open Cluster M37
NGC 2126 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H68-8
NGC 2192 Open Cluster P212
NGC 2281 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H71-8
Constellation: Canis Major
IC 468 Diffuse Nebula P132
IC 2165 Planetary Nebula P133
NGC 2204 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H13-7
NGC 2207 Galaxy P216
- IC 2163 Galaxy - Interacting with P216
NGC 2217 Galaxy P72
NGC 2243 Open Cluster P134
NGC 2287 Open Cluster M41
NGC 2345 Open Cluster P73
NGC 2354 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H16-7
NGC 2359 Diffuse Nebula P20 Thor’s Helmet
NGC 2360 Open Cluster C58, Herschel 400 H12-7
NGC 2362 Open Cluster C64, Herschel 400 H17-7 Tau Canis Major Cluster
NGC 2367 Open Cluster P74
NGC 2374 Open Cluster P75
NGC 2383 Open Cluster P135
NGC 2384 Open Cluster P76
Constellation: Canis Minor
NONE
Constellation: Gemini
IC 2157 Open Cluster P156
NGC 2129 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H26-8
NGC 2158 Globular Cluster Herschel 400 H17-6
NGC 2168 Open Cluster M35
NGC 2266 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H21-6
NGC 2304 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H2-6
NGC 2331 Open Cluster P157
NGC 2355 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H6-6
NGC 2371 Planetary Nebula Herschel 400 H316-2 (South) Paired with H317-2
NGC 2372 Planetary Nebula Herschel 400 H317-2 (North) Paired with H316-2
NGC 2392 Planetary Nebula C39, Herschel 400 H45-4 Eskimo Nebula
NGC 2395 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H11-8
NGC 2420 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H1-6
Constellation: Lepus
IC 418 Planetary Nebula P90 Spirograph Nebula
NGC 1904 Globular Cluster M79
NGC 1964 Galaxy Herschel 400 H21-4
Constellation: Monoceros
NGC 2185 Diffuse Nebula Herschel 400 H20-4
NGC 2215 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H20-7
NGC 2232 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H25-8
NGC 2236 Open Cluster P163
NGC 2237 Diffuse Nebula C49 - Rosette Nebula
- NGC 2238 Diffuse Nebula - Part of C49
- NGC 2246 Diffuse Nebula - Part of C49
NGC 2244 Open Cluster C50, Herschel 400 H2-7
NGC 2250 Open Cluster P164
NGC 2251 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H3-8
NGC 2252 Open Cluster P91
NGC 2254 Open Cluster P165
NGC 2262 Open Cluster P231
NGC 2259 Open Cluster P232
NGC 2261 Diffuse Nebula C46 Hubble’s Variable Nebula
NGC 2264 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H27-5, H5-8 Christmas Tree Cluster
NGC 2269 Open Cluster P166
NGC 2286 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H31-8
NGC 2299 Open Cluster P167
NGC 2301 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H27-6
NGC 2309 Open Cluster P233
NGC 2311 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H60-8
NGC 2323 Open Cluster M50
NGC 2324 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H38-7
NGC 2335 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H32-8
NGC 2343 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H33-8
NGC 2353 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H34-8
NGC 2368 Open Cluster P235
NGC 2506 Open Cluster C54, Herschel 400 H37-6
Constellation: Orion
IC 434 Diffuse Nebula P92 Horsehead Nebula
NGC 1662 Open Cluster P39
NGC 1788 Diffuse Nebula Herschel 400 H32-5
NGC 1976 Open Cluster M42 Great Orion Nebular Cluster
NGC 1977 Open Cluster P40 Running Man Nebular Cluster
- NGC 1973 Diffuse Nebula - Part of P40
- NGC 1975 Diffuse Nebula - Part of P40
NGC 1980 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H31-5
NGC 1981 Open Cluster P41
NGC 1982 Diffuse Nebula M43 DeMairan Nebula
NGC 1999 Diffuse Nebula Herschel 400 H33-4
NGC 2022 Diffuse Nebula Herschel 400 H34-4
NGC 2023 Diffuse Nebula P93
NGC 2024 Diffuse Nebula Herschel 400 H28-5 Flame Nebula
NGC 2039 Open Cluster P94
NGC 2068 Diffuse Nebula M78
NGC 2071 Diffuse Nebula P42
NGC 2112 Open Cluster P170
NGC 2141 Open Cluster P171
NGC 2143 Open Cluster P172
NGC 2169 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H24-8
NGC 2175 Open Cluster P43
- NGC 2174 Diffuse Nebula - Part of P43
- IC 2159 Diffuse Nebula - Part of P43
NGC 2186 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H25-7
NGC 2194 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H5-6
Constellation: Taurus
Messier 45 Open Cluster M45 Pleiades
Caldwell 41 Open Cluster C41 Hyades
IC 1995 Diffuse Nebula P64
NGC 1514 Planetary Nebula P120
NGC 1554 Diffuse Nebula P200 Von Struve’s Lost Nebula
NGC 1555 Diffuse Nebula P201 Hind’s Variable Nebula
NGC 1647 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H8-8
NGC 1750 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H43-8
NGC 1807 Open Cluster P65
NGC 1817 Open Cluster Herschel 400 H4-7
NGC 1952 Diffuse Nebula M1 Crab Nebula
For more information:
Northern Latitudes:
https://hubblesite.org/resource-gallery/learning-resources/tonights-sky
https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up
https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/planner.cfm
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/home/
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/
https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/skyreport
http://outreach.as.utexas.edu/public/skywatch.html
https://griffithobservatory.org/explore/observing-the-sky/sky-report/
http://www.beckstromobservatory.com/whats-up-in-tonights-sky-2/
https://www.fairbanksmuseum.org/planetarium/eye-on-the-night-sky
http://dudleyobservatory.org/tonights-sky/
https://cse.umn.edu/mifa/starwatch
http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk/learn/astro/nightsky/maps
https://tonightssky.com/MainPage.php
https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/
https://www.adventuresci.org/starcharts
https://www.astromart.com/news/search?category_id=3&q=kiss+the+sky&from=&to
Equatorial Latitudes:
https://heavens-above.com/SkyChart2.aspx
https://in-the-sky.org/data/constellations_map.php
https://ytliu0.github.io/starCharts/chartGCRS.html
Southern Latitudes:
https://www.scitech.org.au/explore/the-sky-tonight/
https://www.stardome.org.nz/star-charts--sky-spotter
Watch Satellites Pass Over Your Location:
https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/
Astromart News Archives:
https://www.astromart.com/news/search?category_id=3&q=.
Check out some of my favorite Words of Wisdom:
https://astromart.com/news/show/words-of-wisdom-my-favorite-quotable-quotes
https://astromart.com/news/show/words-of-wisdom-my-favorite-proverbs-from-around-the-world
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