January 2010 astronomy

The earth is at perihelon on January 3. That's when it's closest to the sun. People in the northern hemisphere's temperate regions sometimes mistakenly believe the cold weather they're experiencing has to do with the earth being farther from the sun this time of year.

The Quadrantids meteor shower may also peak on the 3rd. The moon is also not long past full, so viewing this shower may be difficult.

Along a path from Africa, over the Indian Ocean, and into Asia, there'll be an annular solar eclipse on the 15th. Viewers over a far wider swath, even in parts of Europe, will see a partial eclipse. Here are two visibility maps: one equatorial and one orthographic.

Jupiter heralds in the evening at the fringes of Capricorn as the month and year begin. If you don't like early morning skywatching, enjoy Jupiter now. In a few months, it will become a morning object.

While Jupiter sets earlier as the month goes on, Mars rises earlier also becoming visible earlier and earlier in the evening until it's finally up all night. The red planet is at opposition on the 30th. The moon is full the same night. Mars will be north of it. Watch out for those emails of the forward-this-to-everyone-you-know variety claiming Mars will appear as big as the full moon. Those have been going around every time Mars approaches opposition for the last six or eight years. You will actually get to make a side by side comparison of the two this time. If that doesn't prove to everyone how ridiculous those emails are, nothing will.

Saturn is also rising earlier from night to night, becoming a late evening object by month's end. It's in Virgo. Saturn and Mars are the planets dominating the late night to morning skies this month. Leo is between them. Mars is pulling into Cancer while Saturn appears almost motionless.

Mercury and Venus are in conjunction on the 5th, but you'll have to appreciate it without looking at it. They're too close to the sun to see. Venus won't be visible this month. Mercury appears in Sagittarius in the morning sky at the end of the month. The best views will be from the southern hemisphere, but not so far south that twilight starts too early.

If you're positioned in the right spots of the Atlantic Ocean, you'll see the moon pass in front of Al Niyat on the 11th. The moon occults Alcyone on the 25th for viewers in far east Asia and the far west Pacific Ocean.