Astro News

Friday, December 29
The stars of Aries shine above the Moon at nightfall,
then to the Moon's right later in the evening.

Saturday, December 30
On Sunday morning, the waxing gibbous Moon crosses
the northern side of the Pleiades star cluster as
seen from northwestern North America.

Sunday, December 31
After the midnight New Year's celebration, step out
into the silent, moonlit night. Shining due south
is Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, as it always
does at midnight on New Year's Eve. To its upper right,
halfway to the Moon, is Orion. The same distance to
Sirius's upper left is Procyon. Turn to face east; there
are Saturn and, below it, sparkly Regulus.

Monday, January 1
This evening the Moon shines close to the nearly
1st-magnitude star Beta Tauri.

Tuesday, January 2
Did you know that the head of Cetus contains a question
mark - literally - for binoculars? And that just off
Cetus's upper-neck star is a group of fine galaxies for
telescopes?

Wednesday, January 3
Full Moon. Its light will mostly wash out our view of
the Quadrantid meteor shower.

Earth is at the perihelion of its orbit, our closest to
the Sun for the year (only 3% closer than at aphelion in July).

Thursday, January 4
The red long-period variable star U Orionis, in the top
of Orion's Club, should already be nearing its
6th-magnitude maximum brightness predicted for January 18th.
Use binoculars.

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury is hidden in the glare of the Sun.

Venus (magnitude -3.8) is low in the bright afterglow of sunset.

Mars (magnitude +1.5) is lower left of bright Jupiter (magnitude
-1.8) low in the southeast during dawn. Binoculars help. Also,
look for Mars-like Antares twinkling closer below Jupiter.

Saturn (magnitude +0.2, in Leo) rises around 8 p.m. and is well
up in the east for telescopic view by 11.

Uranus (magnitude 5.9, in Aquarius) is still visible in the
southwest right after dark.

Neptune (magnitude 8.0, in Capricornus) is disappearing in the
southwest after sunset.

Pluto is hidden in the glow of 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