Whats Up – January 2022

In a nutshell…

Moon

Date Time Phase
02/01 20h33 New Moon
09/01 20h11 First Quarter
18/01 01h48 Full Moon
25/01 15h40 Last Quarter

Moon – Earth Relations

Perigee: 358 033 km on the 02/01 at 00h55
Apogee: 405 805 km on the 14/01 at 11h35

Planet Visibility

Mercury is visible in the evening sky near Capricornus in the first half of the month, is at inferior conjunction on the 23rd, and is visible in the morning sky afterwards
Venus is visible in the evening sky near Sagittarius until the 9th, and passes into the morning sky afterwards
Mars
is visible in the morning sky near Opiochus
Jupiter is located in Aquarius and is visible in the evening sky
Saturn is located in Capricornus and is visible in the evening sky
Uranus is visible (with binoculars or a telescope) in the evening sky near Aries
Neptune is visible (with binoculars or a telescope) in the evening sky near Pisces

Meteor Showers

Several meteor showers are active in January. The Puppid-Velids are active from December 5th 2021 to January 7th 2022, peaking on the 29th of December 2021. The alpha Crucids, in the constellation of the Southern Cross (Crux) are active from the 6th of January to the 28th of January, peaking on the 19th. The alpha Centaurids, in the constellation of Centaurus, are active from the 28th of January to the 21st of February, peaking on the 7th of February. They are best viewed between 00:00 AM and 03:30 AM looking towards the constellation of Crux. Hourly rates are expected to be around 5 meteors per hour at the maximum.

Comets and Asteroids

Comet Leornard will still be visible from the 1st to the 9th of January in the southwest horizon between 21h00 and 21h40.

Asteroid 7 (Iris) will make a close approach to Earth on the 13th of January and can be observed in the constellation Gemini between 21h38 and 4h10.

Some easy to identify bright stars

Rigel: blue supergiant in Orion
Betelgeuse: red supergiant in Orion
Procyon: yellowish white star in Canis Minor
Sirius: brightest star in the night sky, located in Canis Major
Antares: red supergiant in Scorpius
Arcturus: red giant in Boötes
Spica: brightest bluish-white star in Virgo
Canopus: yellowish-white star in Carina
Altair: a white star, brightest in Aquila
Regulus: blue–white star and the brightest star in Leo
The Pointers: Alpha and Beta Centauri

Sun and Moon

The New Moon occurs on the 2nd of January at 20h33. The First Quarter Moon falls on the 9th of January and the Full Moon occurs on 18th of January at 01h48. The Last Quarter Moon falls on 25th of January at 15h40.

On the 2nd of January at 00h55, the Moon will be at perigee (closest approach to Earth) at a distance of 358 033km. The Moon will be at apogee (furthest from Earth) at a distance of 405 805 km on the 14th of January at 11h25

Planetary and Other Events – Morning and Evening

Mercury, the smallest planet in our solar system, can be observed in the evening in the first half of this month near the stars of the constellation Capricornus. It may be challenging to locate, as it may be trapped in the solar glare in the first week of the month. Mercury will be near the Moon on the 4th of January and will be near Saturn on the 14th of January. Mercury will be at inferior conjunction to the Sun on the 23rd and will pass into the morning sky. The Moon will be near Mercury on 31 January.

Venus is located near the stars of the constellation Sagittarius. It can be observed on the western horizon just after sunset until the 9th of January when it reaches inferior conjunction and passes into the morning sky.

Mars is visible in the morning sky and can be located near the stars of the constellation Ophiuchus. The Moon will be near Mars on the 29th of January.

Jupiter and Saturn can still be seen just after sunset and will be located near the stars of the constellations Aquarius and Capricornus, respectively. The Moon will be near Jupiter on the 5th and 6th of January. Saturn will not be visible after the 20th of the January.

Uranus and Neptune are both evening planets this month and can be observed near the stars of the constellations Aries and Pisces, respectively.

Comet Leonard can still be observed from the 1st to the 9th on the southern west horizon between 21h00 and 21h40. Asteroid 7 (Iris) will make a close approach to Earth on the 13th of January and will be located in the constellation Gemini. It will be visible from 21h38 to 4h10.

Several meteor showers are active in January. The Puppid-Velids are active from December 5th 2021 to January 7th 2022, peaking on the 29th of December 2021. The alpha Crucids, in the constellation of the Southern Cross (Crux) are active from the 6th of January to the 28th of January, peaking on the 19th. The alpha Centaurids, in the constellation of Centaurus, are active from the 28th of January to the 21st of February, peaking on the 7th of February. They are best viewed between 00:00 AM and 03:30 AM looking towards the constellation of Crux. Hourly rates are expected to be around 5 meteors per hour at the maximum.

The Evening Sky Stars
Low in the north in the evening are the stars variously known as the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades, or isiLimela. There are six stars in this cluster which are fairly easily visible to the naked eye, and hundreds that can be seen through a telescope. Located about 420 light years away, this is a group of stars which formed from a cloud of interstellar dust and gas about 120 million years ago. The Pleaides stars easily visible to the naked eye are all more than a 100 times as bright as our Sun – our own Sun only looks brighter because it is 27 million times closer to us! Above and to the right of the Pleiades is another cluster of stars called the Hyades, making up the muzzle of Taurus the Bull. The Hyades are about 150 light years away, and about 600 million years old. Bright orange Aldebaran looks as though it ought to be part of this loose group, but it is only located in the same direction and, only 64 light years away, it is less than half as distant. It is, however, the most luminous star within a hundred light years of us.

Low on the northern horizon glitters Capella, brightest star in Auriga the Charioteer. As with other bright stars, the effects of atmospheric refraction can cause it to twinkle vigorously when near the horizon, appearing to flash in multiple colours. In July 1951, a pilot in northern Michigan chased Capella for half an hour under the impression that it was a UFO. Given that Capella is 42 light years away, it is not surprising he did not catch it. High in the NNE are the brilliant stars of Orion, with the twins (Castor and Pollux) lower in the NE. Below Orion in the ENE (to the right of the twins) is Procyon, brightest star in Orion’s smaller hunting dog. Only 11 light years away, Procyon is one of our nearest neighbours. Sirius, high in the East in January evenings, is even nearer, at a distance of only 9 light years, and both have dim companions called “white dwarfs”, which are no larger than planets. The diameter of Procyon’s companion is only about 30% larger than the diameter of our Earth, while Procyon’s diameter is millions of kilometres! A white dwarf is a star that has used up its nuclear fuel and is slowly cooling down until it crystallises, which typically takes billions of years. It still glows, but only with stored energy. Procyon’s companion, for example, is only 0.06% as bright as the Sun.

Canopus, the second brightest star in the Earth’s night skies, is a bit SE of the zenith (the point overhead). South of the zenith is Achernar at the Southern end of the Celestial River, while Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the SW. In the southern half of the sky in January there is a curious blend of birds and water creatures (including the Southern Fish, the Crane, The Toucan, The Phoenix, The Peacock, the Bird of Paradise, the Flying Fish, the Swordfish and the Water Snake), mixed with mechanical and scientific constellations such as the Octant, the Pendulum Clock, the Chemical Furnace, the Microscope, the Engraving Tool and the Eyepiece Reticle. The Southern Cross and Pointers are very low in the SW even from the Cape and invisible from northern South Africa.

The Morning Sky Stars
Bright stars in the northern half of the sky include Regulus and Procyon in the northwest, orange Arcturus in the northeast. Blue-white Spica is much higher in the northeast. Spica is the brightest of the stars in Virgo, which represents a goddess of ancient mythology. Which goddess is a bit of a mystery, as some claim she was a goddess of the harvest, while others maintain she was a goddess of justice.

The Cross and the Pointers (the two brightest stars in Centaurus) are high in the south in the predawn January sky, with the three stars of the imaginatively named Southern Triangle directly below the Pointers. The Keel, the Sails, the Poop Deck (constellations seen to the right of the Southern Cross while facing south) were once part of the single giant constellation of Argo Navis, the Argonaut’s Ship that sailed to find the Golden Fleece. Just above the Southern Cross and the Housefly are the stars of the great ship Argo as it sails along the Milky Way, accompanied by the dim stars of the Flying Fish. The Milky Way stretches across the morning sky from east to west, a bit south of the zenith, with the bright stars of the Scorpion now rising in the east before dawn. Look out for the brightest star in Scorpio, Antares (‘rival of Mars’).

Still very high in the January predawn sky is Hydra, the Water Monster, with the Cup mounted on its back and the Crow flying nearby. The brightest star in Hydra is Alphard, high in the NW in the January predawn sky. At a distance of 175 light years away, Alphard is a giant star 40 times the diameter of our Sun, and it would stretch halfway to the orbit of Mercury if placed where the Sun is. Since Alphard is also 400 times as bright as the sun, we would be crispy in a jiffy!

Sivuyile Manxoyi
sivuyile@saao.ac.za

The evening sky over Cape Town

The evening sky over Johannesburg