Author: Lemmings

The nights are getting much longer now and deep sky observing becoming more realistic at a reasonable hour.  We reach the autumnal equinox on the 23rd. Day and night are equal.

Planets

Mercury.  

Mercury passed through superior conjunction at the end of August and becomes an evening object. However, the ecliptic near it is well south of the celestial equator meaning that Mercury is too low in the sky to be observable, despite reaching an elongation of +22deg, meaning that it sets shortly after sunset.

Venus

Venus begins the month with an elongation of +43deg, but ends with +33deg.  It is a very prominent evening object, but is rather low in the sky because of its southern declination. The phase drops from 35% to 17% as the crescent shape becomes thinner, but larger, reaching 50 arcsec. 

Venus Occultation:  On September 14th, Venus is occulted by the Moon. The disappearance happens before sunrise, but it should reappear at the bright limb at about 10:35 UT (11:35 BST).  The Moon is a waxing crescent with 13% illumination, so not easily spotted in daylight, but this is a great opportunity to observe and possibly photograph the reappearance.  Both will be thin crescents. You need a clear south eastern sky.

Mars 

Mars remains a largely morning but does rise around midnight (BST) in Taurus. With a diameter of 5.3 arcsec and magnitude 1.1, it is not an easy object. Best to wait until late in the year.

Jupiter

Jupiter reached conjunction with the Sun on 29th July and is therefore a morning object.  However, it is not really observable this month as it remains too close to the Sun.

Saturn

Saturn reaches opposition early next month, and so is observable for most of the later part of the night.  It rises around19 hrs UT.  It is magnitude increases to 0.4 and lies to the south-east the square of Pegasus.  The rings are open to about 8 deg and therefore more noticeable.

Uranus 

Uranus remains a morning object in Taurus, but rises 22 hrs UT.  Its coordinates are RA: 4h 14m, Dec: +21deg.  It is magnitude 5.6 with a diameter of 3.8” (arcsec). It should appear as a tiny bluish disc.

Neptune

Neptune is now visible throughout the night, reaching opposition in Pisces on the 26th.  

Magnitude 7.8 and diameter 2.4”.   RA: 0h 14m, Dec: -0 deg 30’

Moon Phases:

4th September:  Last Quarter	11th September:   New Moon
18th September:  First Quarter	26th September:   Full Moon

Meteor Showers

There are no major showers in September, but the Epsilon Perseids reach a peak this month, around the 10th. The Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) is normally only about 5, but displays do vary.  Moonlight will not be a problem.  Very favourable.

Sun

We remain near solar maximum, so watch out for major sunspots and sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter. 

Aurora

The Sun remains active, so keep a watch out for aurorae now that the skies are darker much earlier.  I recommend one of the many Apps that can warn you of aurorae.  

Deep Sky Objects

The evenings are getting dark much earlier, making deep sky observing much easier now. The Milky Way will be visible high in the sky. Try to get to a dark site if you want to see it well or get a decent photograph.Cygnus is well placed as well.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), below Ursa Major, as well as the Pinwheel galaxy (M101) just above the handle of the Plough are now very well placed high in the sky.  The M13 and M92  globular clusters in Hercules are also well placed and a good object for binoculars, small telescopes or astrophotography. The Perseus Double Cluster is another very rewarding sight, both in binoculars and for astrophotography.  M57, the Ring Nebula in Lyra is a good object, as well as M27, the Dumbbell Nebula in Vulpecula.  The region of Cygnus is rich in deep sky objects.

Neil Havard.

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

Astronomical twilight will still last for much of the night, but the skies are darker for noticeable longer as we approach the equinox next month.

Planets:

Mercury

Mercury begins the month as a morning object and is well placed for observation before sunrise.  It reaches greatest western elongation on 2^nd August and will be 19^o from the Sun. It will be observable for much of the month, reaching a magnitude of -1.1 by the middle of the month.

Venus

Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation on the 14^th and will be 46^o from the Sun.  It is a very prominent evening object.  The disc diameter rapidly increases to about 30 arcsec and, while the phase decreases to 41% by the end of the month.

Mars

Mars remains a morning object and is not well placed, but does rise around 2 am (BST) in Taurus. With a diameter of 5.0 arcsec and magnitude 1.3, it is not an easy object. Best to wait until late in the year.

Jupiter

Jupiter reached conjunction with the Sun on 29^th July and is therefore not really observable this month

Saturn

Saturn is still a morning object but rises around 10pm.  It is magnitude increases to 0.5 and lies below the square of Pegasus.  The rings are open to about 9^o, and therefore more noticeable.

Uranus

Uranus remains a morning object in Taurus, but rises around midnight.  Its coordinates are RA: 4h 14m, Dec: +21^o.  It is magnitude 5.6 with a diameter of 3.8” (arcsec). It should appear as a tiny bluish disc.

Neptune

Neptune is now visible in the late evening and is not far from Saturn. 

Magnitude 7.8 and diameter 2.”.   RA: 0h 14m, Dec: 0^o 00’

Moon Phases:

6th August:  Last Quarter	12th August:   New Moon
20th August:  First Quarter	28th August:   Full Moon

Meteor Showers

The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak this month, around the 13^th and lasts until the 24th.  The Perseids are associated with debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle.  Moonlight will not be a problem until late in the month.  They reach a maximum next month of up to 140 per hour.  They are fast moving and often contain some bright ones. Very favourable!

Sun

We remain near solar maximum, so watch out for major sunspots and sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter.

Total Eclipse of the Sun: 12^th August

The track of totality crosses the north pole, sweeps down over eastern Greenland and the western tip of Iceland.  It then passes down the north Atlantic and crosses the north coast of Spain. Passing across north central Spain it then enters the Mediterranean Sea, over the Balearic Islands and finishing at sunset just beyond.  Best weather prospects are in central northern Spain, although the Sun will be only 8^o above the horizon near sunset.  Totality in central Spain is about 1m 45s.  At Palma, it is 1m 36s, but the Sun is only 2^o high.

In the UK there will be a Partial Eclipse.  At maximum, the Sun will be 93% covered in the Cheltenham/Gloucester area.  Times are given below: 

Please note the times are UT.  For BST, add one hour.

Start (first Contact):	17h 16m 24s	Altitude: +20.4o
Maximum eclipse:	18h 12m 57s	Altitude: +11.7o
End of eclipse:	19h 06m 27s	Altitude: +03.7o
Sunset:	19h 39m

If anyone wants times for other places, contact Neil at: coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

Alternatively, use the interactive website: xjubier.free.fr

Aurora

The Sun remains active, so keep a watch out for aurorae now.  I recommend one of the many Apps that can warn you of aurorae. 

Deep Sky Objects

The evenings are getting much shorter making deep sky observing much easier now. The Milky Way will be more visible late in the night. Cygnus is well placed as well.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), below Ursa Major, as well as the Pinwheel galaxy (M101) just above the handle of the Plough are now very well placed high in the sky.  The M13 globular cluster in Hercules is also now well placed and a good object for binoculars, small telescopes or astrophotography. The Perseus Double Cluster is another very rewarding sight, both in binoculars and for astrophotography.

Neil Havard.

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

Astronomical twilight will still last all night and the northern skies will never be dark enough for deep sky photography. 

Planets:

Mercury

Mercury begins the month as an evening object, but it is getting ever closer to the Sun in the evening sky and therefore more difficult to observe. It reaches inferior conjunction (between Sun and Earth) on 13^th and then passes into the morning sky.  Its high declination means that it will be well placed in the morning sky before sunrise by the end of the month.  It’s diameter will be about 8 arcsec. 

Venus

Venus is now a very prominent evening object and increasing its elongation from the Sun throughout the month, reaching 45^o by the end of the month.  The disc diameter is only about 17 arcsec and increases to 20 arcsec, while the phase decreases to 52% by the end of the month.

Mars

Mars is not well placed, but does rise around 3 am (BST) in Taurus. With a diameter of 4.7 arcsec and magnitude 1.3, it is not an easy object. Best to wait until late in the year.

Jupiter

Jupiter reaches conjunction with the Sun on 29^th July and is therefore not really observable this month

Saturn

Saturn is now a morning object and rises around midnight.  It is magnitude 0.7 and lies below the square of Pegasus.  The rings are open to about 6.5^o, and therefore more noticeable.

Uranus

Uranus is now a morning object in Taurus, but still difficult to observe.  Its coordinates are RA: 4h 08m, Dec: +21^o.

Neptune

Neptune is now a morning object and is not far from Saturn.  RA: 0h 15.5m, Dec: 0^o 20’

Moon Phases:

7th July:  Last Quarter	14th July:   New Moon
21st July:  First Quarter	29th July:   Full Moon

The Perseid meteor shower starts this month, around the 17^th and lasts for a month.  The Perseids are associated with debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle.  Moonlight could be a bit obtrusive early in the evening, but late in the night prospects are much better.  They reach a maximum next month of up to 140 per hour.  They are fast moving and often contain some bright ones.

Sun

We remain near solar maximum, so watch out for major sunspots and sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter.

Aurora

The skies remain too bright this month and so aurorae will not be visible, unless extremely powerful and bright. 

Deep Sky Objects

The very light evenings make deep sky observing very difficult now, although the Milky Way will be more visible late in the night. Cygnus is well placed as well.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), below Ursa Major, as well as the Pinwheel galaxy (M101) just above the handle of the Plough are now very well placed high in the sky.  The M13 globular cluster in Hercules is also now well placed and a good object for binoculars, small telescopes or astrophotography.

Neil Havard.

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

Astronomical twilight will last all night and the northern skies will never be dark enough for deep sky photography.  Unless very bright, aurorae will be unlikely to be visible for a while now

Planets

Mercury

Mercury is at its best this month. It reaches greatest eastern elongation on the 15^th and will be 24^o from the Sun.  Its high declination means that it will be well placed in the evening sky after sunset.  At elongation the phase will be 50% (of course) and diameter 7.3 arcsec.  A great time to observe this elusive planet.

Venus

Venus is now a prominent evening object and increasing its elongation from the Sun throughout the month, reaching 41^o by the end of the month.  The disc diameter is only about 16 arcsec and the phase decreases to 70% by the end of the month.

Mars

Mars reached conjunction in January and is still not really observable this month, or for a few months yet.

Jupiter

Jupiter is well past its best now now, but is still fairly well placed for observation after sunset, high in the western sky.  It is still a very prominent object in Gemini, just below the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. It is very well placed for observing and gets very high in the sky, meaning it avoids a lot of the atmospheric turbulence lower down. I recommend the website https://shallowsky.com/jupiter which shows you the position of the Galilean moons and the Great Red Spot at any time you pick. 

Saturn

Saturn reached conjunction with the Sun last March and is still not observable this month.

Uranus

Uranus is not really observable this month as it is lost in the twilight.

Neptune

Neptune is not observable this month as it is still too close to the Sun

Moon Phases:

8th June:  Last Quarter	15th June:   New Moon
21st June:  First Quarter	29th June:   Full Moon

Meteor Showers

There are no major meteor showers this month

Sun

The summer solstice occurs on the 21^st June and so the Sun is at its highest in the sky.  We remain near solar maximum, so watch out for major sunspots and sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter.

Aurora

The skies remain too bright this month and so aurorae will not be visible, unless extremely powerful and bright. 

Deep Sky Objects

The light evenings make deep sky observing very difficult now, although the Milky Way will be more visible late in the night. Cygnus is becoming well placed as well.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), below Ursa Major, as well as the Pinwheel galaxy (M101) just above the handle of the Plough are now very well placed high in the sky.  The M13 globular cluster in Hercules is also now well placed and a good object for binoculars, small telescopes or astrophotography.

Neil Havard.

 

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

To download this post as a PDF click HERE

CAS Sky Notes for May 2026

By the end of this month, astronomical twilight will last all night, the northern skies will never be dark enough for deep sky photography.  Andromeda will be low on the horizon and the double cluster a fairly difficult object.  Unless very bright, aurorae will be unlikely to be visible for a while now 

Planets:

Mercury.

Mercury passes through superior conjunction on the 14^th and then becomes an evening object.  By the end of the month it may be visible in the twilight after sunset, but is at its best next month.

Venus

Venus is now an easier evening object and increasing its elongation from the Sun throughout the month, reaching nearly 30^o by the end of May.  It The disc diameter is still only 13 arcsec but the phase decreases to 80% by the end of the month.

Mars

Mars reached conjunction in January and is still not observable this month, or for quite a few months yet.

Jupiter

Jupiter is past its best now now, but is still fairly well placed for observation after sunset in mid evening, high in the western sky.  It is still a very prominent object in Gemini, just below the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. It is very well placed for observing and gets very high in the sky, meaning it avoids a lot of the atmospheric turbulence lower down. I recommend the website https://shallowsky.com/jupiter which shows you the position of the Galilean moons and the Great Red Spot at any time you pick. 

Saturn

Saturn reached conjunction with the Sun last March and is still not observable this month.

Uranus

Uranus is now a difficult object this month.  It lies in Taurus, a little below the Pleiades and sets by 9pm (21:00)UT.  Its coordinates: RA 03h 46m , Dec +19.7^o, and magnitude +5.7.

Neptune

Neptune is not observable this month as it is too close to the Sun

 

Moon Phases:

1st May:  Full Moon	9th May:   Last Quarter
16th May:  New Moon	23rd  May:   First Quarter

Meteor Showers

There are no major meteor showers this month

Sun

The Sun is now high in the sky now and we remain near solar maximum, so watch out for major sunspots and sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter.

Aurora

Aurora may still be visible this month although the northern skies are probably becoming too light for all but the brightest aurorae to be visible. 

Deep Sky Objects

The light evenings make deep sky observing difficult now, although the Milky Way will start to be more visible late in the night.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), below Ursa Major, as well as the Pinwheel galaxy (M101) just above the handle of the Plough are now very well placed high in the sky.  The M13 globular cluster in Hercules is also now well placed and a good object for binoculars, small telescopes or astrophotography.

To download this post as a PDF click HERE

Neil Havard.

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

The evenings are becoming much longer now that we have passed the vernal equinox near the end of March.  Although observing has to begin much later, it is still dark enough at a reasonable time to do some observing. 

Planets

Mercury

Mercury remains a morning object throughout April.  However, it will remain low in the sky before sunrise and will be a very difficult object this month. It reaches greatest western elongation on 3^rd April (27.8^o) but is very low in the sky. 

Venus

Venus is now an evening object and increasing its elongation from the Sun throughout the month, reach nearly 28^o by the end of April.  It is still a tricky object as it is low in the sky. and may be difficult to pick up before the end of the month. The disc diameter is only about 11 arcsec and the phase decreases to 88% by the end of the month.

Mars

Mars reached conjunction in January and is still not observable in April, or for quite a few months yet.

Jupiter

Jupiter is well past opposition now, but is still well placed for observation in the early to late evening.  It is a very prominent object in Gemini, just below the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. It is very well placed for observing and is still high in the sky, meaning it avoids a lot of the atmospheric turbulence lower down. I recommend the website https://shallowsky.com/jupiter which shows you the position of the Galilean moons and the Great Red Spot at any time you pick. 

Saturn

Saturn reached conjunction with the Sun on 25^th March and is therefore not observable this month.

Uranus

Uranus remains visible throughout this month.  It lies in Taurus, a little below the Pleiades.  Its coordinates: RA 03h 46m , Dec +19.7^o, and magnitude +5.7.

Neptune

Neptune is not observable this month as it is too close to the Sun

Moon Phases:

2nd April:  Full Moon	10th April:   Last Quarter
17th April:  New Moon	24th April:   First Quarter

Occultations

On the evening of 19^th April, the Moon occults the Pleiades. This should be well worth watching and offers some interesting photographic opportunities.

Meteor Showers

The April Lyrids could be favourable this month and run between 14^th and 30^th. The peak is on the 22^nd April. 

Sun

The Sun is much higher in the sky now and is still fairly active as it is still near solar maximum, so do watch out for large Sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter.

Aurora

Aurora may still be visible this month although the northern skies are getting dark much later.  Watch out for any exceptional activity though, using one of the many aurora alert apps.

Deep Sky Objects

The Orion Nebula is still observable, as well as the Pleiades. To the east of Gemini (where Jupiter is) lies the sickle of Leo.  Between these is Cancer.  Look for the beautiful open cluster Praesepe M44, which is a lovely open cluster and a good target for astrophotography.  The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is becoming well placed, below Ursa Major, as well as the Pinwheel galaxy (M101) just above the handle of the Plough.

To download these notes as a PDF click HERE

Neil Havard.

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

Despite all the rain, spring must be on the way!  If we manage some clear skies, then this is a good time of year for observing. 

Planets:

Mercury:

Mercury passes through inferior conjunction on 7^th March and becomes a morning object.  However, it will remain low in the sky and will be a very difficult object this month.

Venus:

Venus is now an evening object, but is still rather close to the Sun and may be difficult to pick up before the end of the month. The disc diameter is only about 10 arcsec.

Mars:

Mars reached conjunction in January and is still not observable this month, or for quite a few months yet.

Jupiter:

Jupiter is past opposition now, but is still well placed  for observation in the early to late evening.  It is a very prominent object in Gemini, just below the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. It is very well placed for observing and gets very high in the sky, meaning it avoids a lot of the atmospheric turbulence lower down. I recommend the website https://shallowsky.com/jupiter which shows you the position of the Galilean moons and the Great Red Spot at any time you pick. 

Saturn:

Saturn reaches conjunction with the Sun on 25^th March and is therefore not observable this month.

Uranus:

Uranus remains visible throughout this month.  It lies in Taurus, a little below the Pleiades.  Its coordinates: RA 03h 44m , Dec +19.7^o, and magnitude +5.7.

Neptune:

Neptune is not observable this month as it is too close to the Sun

Moon Phases:

3rd March:  Full Moon	11th March:   Last Quarter
19th March:  New Moon	25th March:   First Quarter

Occultations:

On the 29^th March, the Moon occults the star Regulus in Leo. It disappears behind the dark limb at 18:14 UT and reappears at the bright limb at 19:21 UT.  The Moon phase is 89%.

There is a total lunar eclipse on 3^rd March, but it will not be visible in the UK sadly.

 Sun:

The Sun is much higher in the sky now and is still fairly active as it is still near solar maximum, so do watch out for large Sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter.

The Equinox occurs on 20^th March

Aurora:

Aurora may be visible this month as the northern skies are dark early.  Watch out for any exceptional activity though, using one of the many aurora alert apps.

 Meteors:

There are no notable meteor showers this month.

Deep Sky Objects:

The Orion Nebula is still well placed, as well as the Pleiades. To the east of Gemini (where Jupiter is) lies the sickle of Leo.  Between these is Cancer.  Look for the beautiful open cluster Praesepe M44, which is a lovely open cluster and a good target for astrophotography.  The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) is becoming well placed, below Ursa Major, as well as the Pinwheel galaxy (M101) just above the handle of the Plough.

The Andromeda galaxy (M31) remains fairly well placed, being almost overhead by mid evening.  This also applies to the Double Cluster in Perseus.  Both make great objects in binoculars or a small telescope and fantastic objects for astrophotography.

To download these notes s a PDF click HERE

 

Neil Havard.

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

Winter continues and the nights are long and dark.  If we manage some clear skies, then this is a good time of year for observing. 

Planets

Mercury

Mercury becomes an evening object, reaching greatest eastern elongation on the 19^th of the month, reaching 18^o east of the Sun.  It should be a good target to look for this month.

Venus

Venus becomes an evening object, but is still rather too close to the Sun to be easily observable this month.

Mars

Mars reached conjunction in January and is not observable this month, or for quite a few months yet.

Jupiter

Jupiter is just past opposition and is therefore observable throughout the night.  It is a very prominent object in Gemini, just below the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. It is very well placed for observing and gets very high in the sky, meaning it avoids a lot of the atmospheric turbulence lower down. I recommend the website https://shallowsky.com/jupiter which shows you the position of the Galilean moons and the Great Red Spot at any time you pick. 

Saturn

Saturn is becoming much harder to observe as it sinks into the west.  It sets by 8pm by the middle of the month.  The rings are still nearly edge on, but will just be visible if you get a chance to view them before Saturn is lost in the twilight.

Uranus

Uranus remains visible throughout this month.  It lies in Taurus, a little below the Pleiades.  Its coordinates: RA 03h 43m , Dec +19.5^o, and magnitude +5.7.

Neptune

Neptune is becoming harder to observe, as it is close to Saturn, being a little above it.  It sets by mid evening.

Moon Phases:

1st Feb:  Full Moon	9th Feb:   Last Quarter
17th Feb:  New Moon	24th Feb:   First Quarter

 Sun

The Sun remains low in the sky at this time of year, but still fairly active as it is still near solar maximum, so do watch out for large Sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter.

Aurora

Aurora may be visible this month as the northern skies are dark early.  Watch out for any exceptional activity though, using one of the many aurora alert apps.

 Meteors

There are no notable meteor showers this month.

Deep Sky Objects

The Orion Nebula is well placed, as well as the Pleiades. To the east of Gemini (where Jupiter is) lies the sickle of Leo.  Between these is Cancer.  Look for the beautiful open cluster Praesepe M44, which is a lovely open cluster and a good target for astrophotography. I captured this inadvertently while photographing the aurora in northern Finland in December.

The Andromeda galaxy (M31) remains well placed, being almost overhead by mid evening.  This also applies to the Double Cluster in Perseus.  Both make great objects in binoculars or a small telescope and fantastic objects for astrophotography.

To download this post as a PDF click HERE

Neil Havard.

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

 

Winter is well and truly upon us and the nights are long and dark.  If we manage some clear skies, then this is a good time of year for observing.

There are some interesting this to look out for this month

Planets

Mercury

Mercury reaches superior conjunction on 21^st January.  It remains close to the Sun and is not really observable this month.

Venus

Venus reaches superior conjunction on the 6^th January and is not observable this month

Mars

Mars finally reaches conjunction on the 9^th January and is not observable this month, or for quite a few months yet.

Jupiter

Jupiter reaches opposition on the 10^th January and is therefore observable throughout the night.  It is a very prominent object in Gemini, just below the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. It is very well placed for observing and gets very high in the sky, meaning it avoids a lot of the atmospheric turbulence lower down. I recommend the website https://shallowsky.com/jupiter which shows you the position of the Galilean moons and the Great Red Spot at any time you pick.  A few transits are as follows:

On the 6^th, at 01.56UT, Io will transit Jupiter.  As Jupiter is close to opposition, the Moon and its shadow will appear close together.  It does this again on the 7^th at 02:20UT. Ganymede transits on the 7^th at 02:06UT and the shadow and moon are touching.  If you’re up and it’s clear, this could be worth looking for.  On the 10^th at 07:11UT (opposition day) Calisto starts to transit in front of its shadow.

Saturn

Saturn is past its best now and will soon be moving into the twilight.  Its magnitude is at +1 throughout the month, but the rings remain very nearly edge on throughout the month.  Although still fairly low in the sky, it can be found in Aquarius, below the square of Pegasus. By mid-month, its coordinates are: RA 23h 49m, Dec -3^o 34’.  Note: As it’s a planet, it won’t twinkle like a star, making it easier to identify.  You can use https://shallowsky.com to access the moons of Saturn as well.

Uranus

Uranus remains visible throughout this month.  It lies in Taurus, a little below the Pleiades.  Its coordinates: RA 03h 43m, Dec +19.5^o, and magnitude +5.7.

Neptune

Neptune is still observable, as it is close to Saturn, being a little above it.  It is not an easy object, but it can be found with coordinates:  RA 0h 00m 21s, Dec -1^o 25’.  It is also below the square of Pegasus and has a magnitude of +7.9.  By the end of the month it will become a more difficult object.

Moon Phases: 

3rd Jan:  Full Moon	10th Jan:   Last Quarter
18th Jan:  New Moon	26th Jan:   First Quarter

The Lunar X and Lunar V shapes may be seen around 17.00UT on the 25^th January.  These shapes appear on the terminator, due to light catching crater rims, and are worth looking for.  The X is south of the equator and the V to the north.

Occultations: On the evening of the 27^th January from about 21:30UT, the gibbous Moon passes through the northern part of the Pleiades, occulting several stars.  This could be a job for video.

Sun

The Sun is very low in the sky at this time of year, but still fairly active as it is still near solar maximum, so do watch out for large Sunspot groups.  Remember to never look at the Sun directly without a proper solar filter.

Earth reaches perihelion around the 4^th January and so is at its closest to the Sun.  It won’t feel particularly warm though!

Aurora

Aurora may be visible this month as the northern skies are dark early.  Watch out for any exceptional activity though, using one of the many aurora alert apps.

 Meteors

The Quadrantid meteor shower occurs around the 3^rd January. The Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) at maximum may reach 80, but this year’s display will be rather spoiled by the full Moon. They are one of the richest showers of the year and well worth looking out for.  There are many slow and bright meteors to be seen. As we will be approaching new Moon, these could be very favourable.

Deep Sky Objects

The Orion Nebula is well placed, as well as the Pleiades. To the east of Gemini (where Jupiter is) lies the sickle of Leo.  Between these is Cancer.  Look for the beautiful open cluster Praesepe M44, which is a lovely open cluster and a good target for astrophotography.

The Andromeda galaxy (M31) is very well placed, being almost overhead by mid evening.  This also applies to the Double Cluster in Perseus.  Both make great objects in binoculars or a small telescope and fantastic objects for astrophotography.

Neil Havard.

Any questions or for more information, contact Neil at coordassist@cotswoldas.org.uk

To download this post as a PDF click HERE