On Topic: Astro News

Friday, January 26

This evening Venus and Mercury are 9°
apart in the west-southwest after sunset.
By the 31st they'll close to 7° apart.

Saturday, January 27

Tonight the asteroid (or is that "dwarf planet"?)
1 Ceres, magnitude 9.3, passes 0.3° south of
Delta Aquarii, magnitude 3.3, which is 13 °
upper left of Venus. (You'll need a star chart
to confirm it.) Look with a telescope early,
maybe even before twilight's complete end.

Sunday, January 28

The red long-period variable star R Canis Minoris
should be at its maximum brightness (8th magnitude)
this week.

Monday, January 29

The asteroid 20 Massalia, magnitude 8.4, is at
opposition this week as it passes 3° south of the
Beehive star cluster (M44) in Cancer. Use binoculars
or a small, wide-field scope to draw the stars in
this area, then check back a night or two later to
see which one of them is moving.

Tuesday, January 30

The bright eclipsing variable star Algol should be
in one of its periodic dimmings, magnitude 3.4
instead of its usual 2.1, for a couple hours
centered on 10:52 p.m. EST. Algol takes several
additional hours to fade and to rebrighten.

Wednesday, January 31

A small telescope will always show Titan, the
largest moon of Saturn. Tonight Titan is four
ring-lengths to Saturn's east.

Thursday, February 1

Full Moon tonight (exact at 12:45 a.m. Friday
morning EST). As seen from western Europe late
this evening, the Moon passes very close by Saturn.

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury (magnitude -1) shines at the lower right
of bright Venus in evening twilight.
Look early before it sets.

Venus (magnitude -3.9, in Aquarius) is the flaming
white "Evening Star" dominating the west-southwest
in twilight.

Mars (a dim magnitude +1.4, crossing the top of
the Sagittarius Teapot) can be located very far
lower left of bright Jupiter in early dawn.
Jupiter and Mars are separated by 25° to 30°.

Jupiter (magnitude -1.9, in southern Ophiuchus)
dominates the southeast before and during dawn.
Look for fainter Antares twinkling 6° or 7° to
its lower right.

Saturn (magnitude 0.0, in Leo) rises in twilight
and is well up in the east for good telescopic
viewing by 10 p.m. It will reach opposition on
February 10th. Regulus, less bright, twinkles 7°
or 8° below it. By dawn the pair are getting
low in the west, with Regulus now to Saturn's
upper left.

Uranus and Neptune are too low and dim in
evening twilight.

Pluto (magnitude 14, in Serpens) is northeast of
Jupiter, low in the southeastern sky just before dawn.



--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html