Wessex Sky Notes - 2015 January 15 at 2100 UTC
VOL 9 No 1
Aspect of the sky from 50º 48' N : 2º 00' W at 21:00 UTC
Map from www.fourmilab.ch
Earth at Perihelion on the 4th at 07:00, Earth closest to the Sun for the year. at 147 million km. Northern Winter.
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Lunar Phases Full: Jan. 5 at 04:53; Last Qtr: Jan.13 at 09:46; New: Jan. 20 at 13:13 & 1 Qtr: Jan 27 at 04:48;
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Apsides: Perigee (closest), Jan. 21 at 20:06, 359644 km, (33' 13.5"): Apogee (furthest), Jan. 10 at 01:35, 405408 km, (29' 30.8")
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Mercury (☿): is at greatest Eastern Elongation on the 19 . (19º) and will be well seen in the evening sky. Moon near on 21 .
Both Mercury and Venus set at 18:13 mid month.
Venus (♀): is improving as an evening star in the twilit sky. It is closest to Mercury on the 10th. The Moon is near on the 21st.
Mars: (♂): lies low in the SW twilight not far from Venus and Mercury, setting at 19:50 mid month.
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Jupiter (♃): dominates the sky, at mag.-2.4, rising at 18:35 , between Leo and Cancer. Moon close on the 7 . See later for the GRS.
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Saturn (♄): rises in Libra, mag. 0.8, in the ESE, 4 hours before the Sun, but moves into Scorpius on the 17 . Moon near on the 16 .
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Uranus (♅): sets at around 23:40 mid month so still a reasonable opportunity for observation. Moon is near on the 6 / 7 .
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Neptune (♆): sets just after 8 pm at month's start in Aquarius, so get a last look now. It will be lost in the sunset glare by 31 .
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Meteors The Quadrantids peaks on the 4 , but the nearly full moon will wash out all but the brightest events, so hard luck! Normally
about 40 meteors per hour may be spotted, weather permitting! This has been a good shower, at times in the past, with good
outbursts, and some bright meteors, so it's worth a look. The radiant is near the star above the second 'e' in Benetnasch, in the
above chart.
Asteroid 3 Juno comes to opposition on the 29th when it will be mag. 8.1. It is near the head of Hydra, just behind the 'C' in Canis
Minor on the above chart, and will be moving westward during the month, easily followed in 10 x 50s I'm assured!
Sunrise - set times
Jan. 01 Rise: 08:10:14
Jan. 06 Rise 08:09:15
Jan. 11 Rise 08:06:56
Transit
12:11:26
12:13:42
12:15:48
Times in UTC
Set: 16:12:46 Jan. 16 Rise: 08:03:21
Set: 16:18:26 Jan. 21 Rise: 07:58:37
Set: 16:25:00 Jan. 26 Rise: 07:52:48
Transit
2015
12:17:39 Set: 16:32:21 Jan. 31 Rise: 07:45:00
12:19:13 Set: 16:40:418
Transit: 12:21:23
12:20:28 Set: 16:48:42
Set: 16:57:22
Moonrise - set times
Transit
Times in UTC
Transit Note: Times given to nearest minute.
Jan. 01 Rise: 13:47:28 21:27:15 Set: 04:10:02 Jan. 16 Rise: 03:35:43 08:21:28 Set: 13:02:48 Jan. 31 Rise: 14:05:51
Jan. 06 Rise: 18:08:23 00:50:03 Set: 08:24:30 Jan. 21 Rise: 08:06:04 13:11:05 Set: 18:24:47
Transit: 21:56:59
Jan. 11 Rise 23:17:38 04:30:42 Set: 10:36:14 Jan. 26 Rise: 10:42:41 17:41:28 Set: --:--:-Set: 04:58:57
(Transit time is the time when the object crosses the sky meridian, ie the N - S line; --:--:-- means event happens next day)
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B Persei, (Algol) (mag 2.1 to 3.4) - the visible minima are 8 at 01:56; 10 at 22:46; 13
The duration of the event is 9.6 hours and the period between events is 2.866 days.
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at 19:35; 31
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at 00:31.
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RZ Cassiopeiae (mag 6.2 - 7.7) - minima visible from Britain are 2 at 02:20; 6 at 21:05; 8 at 01:46; 9 at 06:27; 12 at 20:31;
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14 at 01:12; 1 at 05:53; 18 at 19:57; 20 at 00:38; 21 at 05:19; 24 at 19:23; 26 at 00:05 and 27 at 00:46. Duration of
minima events is 4.8 hours and the period between them is 1.19525 days.
RZ Cass. is an Algol type eclipsing binary, and is circumpolar at our latitude.
Lambda Tauri (mag 3.4 - 3.9 ) - there are no minima this month.
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For observations of the ISS during the month, log-in to http://www.heavens-above.com . from the 5 the passes are all
morning ones - for early risers - like me now!! See later for these passes.
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Our next main evening Durlston event will be on Saturday, January 24 at 7:00 pm when the Moon, Jupiter, Orion Nebula, Galaxies,
Star clusters and Winter Constellations will be observed, hopefully. Either, Bob Mizon, or Alan Jefferis, will give the usual talk.
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This year we are supporting the BBC STARGAZING LIVE event in March (Saturday 28 ). More in March's notes.
Solar news: The sunspot cycle 24 has been described as the weakest seen in many years, and may even be on the decline
now. But solar activity has been up just recently with the Magnetic Field index (Kp) reaching 5 on several occasions. However
keep watching http://www.spaceweather.com Check the auroral oval for Europe. Aurora list members, again, please keep your list
handy. The Sun's face is never fully free from spots, and your author (still) remains hopeful of some good activity to come!
Keep your eyes peeled and your alert list handy, as ever.
Timings for the Great Red Spot (GRS) - some are early morning, when the GRS will be on / near to the Jovian meridian the spot longitude is 223.5º in System II.
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1 at 06:22; 2 at 02:13 & 22;04; 3 at 08:00; 4 at 03:51 & 23:42; 5 at 19:33; 6 at 05:29 ; 7 at 01:20 &
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21:11; 8 at 07:07; 9 at 02:58 & 22:50; 11 at 04:36; 12 at 00:28 & 20 19; 13 at 06:14; 14 at 02:06 & 21:57;
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15 at 07:53; 16 at 03:44; 18 at 05:23; 19 at 01:13 & 21:04; 20 at 07:00; 21 at 02:51 & 22:42;
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23 at 04:29; 24 at 00:20 & 20:12; 25 at 06:07; 26 at 01:58 & 21:50; 28 at 03:37 & 23:28;
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29 at 19:19 & 21:21 and finally 30 at 05:15.
Meteor activity: Keep your eye on the Norman Lockyer Observatory web page at http://www.merriott-astro.co.uk/scan3D.htm
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for the meteor ping graphics on their monitoring site especially around the 4 , the peak of the Quadrantids. The radiant is
circumpolar so it should be possible to detect meteors via the web site. Try http://www.topaz-streamguys.tv/~spaceweather/
(note the tilde character!) for live sound streaming from a Texas facility similar to the French one near Dijon. Note: Now the
NLO is running live streaming from two dark sky cameras, at their site., now in addition there are 2 cameras at Ash Vale, near
Farnborough and one other in that region. Take a look at these also. They are linked to, from the 'S.P.A.M' . page.
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2015 opens with a very respectable Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy, discovered on August 17 by Australian astronomer Terry
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Lovejoy, his fifth by all accounts. Your scribe saw it on the 30 ult at 22:30 despite the brightening gibbous moon, and it was about
mag. 5.5 or so in Lepus, a fuzz ball, about the size of the full moon, or slightly bigger. (My estimates). Scan the sky in the areas
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shown in the charts for Jan 2 , 7 , 12 and 17 on page 3.
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The comet is closest to Earth on 7 January 43.6 million miles, and closest to the Sun on the 30 inst. at 1.29 A.U. It crosses
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the Celestial Equator on the 9 and may reach mag. 4 or so in a dark sky.
As the comet entered the Solar System it had a period of about 11,500 years but as it leaves it is calculated that the peturbing forces
within the system will have reduced the period to 8000 years. Just thought I'd include those statistics for good measure.
Fat lot of good to us but in the mean time lets enjoy one of the brightest and best placed comets in years.
Good Observing.
Robert Hatch
04 January 2015
Page 3
Position of Comet/2014 Lovejoy Q2
January 2nd at 22:30
January 12th at 22:30
January 7th at 22:30
January 17th at 22:30
Page 4 Passes for ISS during January 2015 - all morning passes.
(Evening passes start early February.)
Date
Brightness
(mag)
Start
Time
Alt. Az.
Highest point
Time
Alt. Az.
End
Time
Alt. Az.
Pass type
05 Jan
0.3
07:10:38 10° SSE
07:11:39 11° SE
07:12:40 10° ESE visible
07 Jan
-0.5
07:02:48 10° SSW
07:05:23 21° SE
07:07:59 10° E
08 Jan
-0.2
06:12:33 10° S
06:14:21 14° SE
06:16:08 10° ESE visible
Date
Brightness
(mag)
Start
Time
Alt. Az.
Highest point
Time
Alt. Az.
End
Time
Alt. Az.
visible
Pass type
09 Jan
-1.8
06:56:02 10° SW
06:59:09 38° SSE
07:02:15 10° E
visible
10 Jan
-1.2
06:05:20 11° SSW
06:07:58 26° SE
06:10:46 10° E
visible
11 Jan
-0.7
05:16:41 17° SE
05:16:48 17° SE
05:19:03 10° E
visible
11 Jan
-2.9
06:49:37 10° WSW 06:52:54 64° SSE
06:56:12 10° ENE visible
12 Jan
-2.4
06:00:33 32° SSW
06:01:35 45° SSE
06:04:47 10° E
visible
13 Jan
-0.9
05:11:29 24° ESE
05:11:29 24° ESE
05:13:17 10° E
visible
13 Jan
-3.3
06:44:13 17° WSW 06:46:38 89° NNW 06:49:58 10° ENE visible
14 Jan
-3.3
05:55:01 70° SSW
05:55:13 73° SSE
05:58:32 10° ENE visible
15 Jan
-0.7
05:05:42 22° E
05:05:42 22° E
05:07:03 10° E
visible
15 Jan
-3.3
06:38:25 23° W
06:40:19 75° N
06:43:38 10° E
visible
16 Jan
-3.3
05:49:01 75° NE
05:49:01 75° NE
05:52:08 10° E
visible
16 Jan
-3.3
07:22:07 10° WNW 07:25:27 84° N
07:28:46 10° E
visible
17 Jan
-0.5
04:59:34 19° ENE
05:00:37 10° ENE visible
17 Jan
-3.3
06:32:16 27° WNW 06:33:55 75° N
06:37:14 10° E
visible
18 Jan
-2.9
05:42:46 61° NE
05:45:39 10° E
visible
18 Jan
-3.1
07:15:37 10° WNW 07:18:56 71° SSW 07:22:13 10° ESE visible
Date
Brightness
(mag)
Start
Time
Alt. Az.
04:59:34 19° ENE
05:42:46 61° NE
Highest point
Time
Alt. Az.
04:53:14 17° E
End
Time
Alt. Az.
19 Jan
-0.3
04:53:14 17° E
19 Jan
-3.4
06:25:56 31° WNW 06:27:23 90° SSW 06:30:41 10° ESE visible
20 Jan
-2.7
05:36:22 56° ENE
05:36:22 56° ENE
20 Jan
-2.6
07:09:03 10° W
07:12:13 43° SSW 07:15:22 10° SE
visible
21 Jan
-0.1
04:46:47 15° E
04:46:47 15° E
visible
21 Jan
-3.2
06:19:29 35° W
06:20:40 62° SSW 06:23:56 10° ESE visible
22 Jan
-2.3
05:29:54 47° ESE
05:29:54 47° ESE
05:32:22 10° ESE visible
22 Jan
-1.8
07:02:36 11° W
07:05:17 25° SW
07:08:03 10° SSE visible
23 Jan
0.1
04:40:20 13° E
04:40:20 13° E
04:40:42 10° E
23 Jan
-2.5
06:13:02 32° WSW 06:13:46 37° SSW 06:16:50 10° SE
visible
24 Jan
-1.6
05:23:30 30° SE
05:25:24 10° SE
visible
24 Jan
-1.0
06:56:25 10° WSW 06:58:08 14° SW
06:59:51 10° S
visible
25 Jan
-1.6
06:06:41 21° SW
06:06:41 21° SW
06:09:12 10° SSE visible
26 Jan
-0.7
05:17:14 15° SSE
05:17:14 15° SSE
05:18:02 10° SSE visible
05:23:30 30° SE
04:54:04 10° E
Pass type
05:39:05 10° E
04:47:26 10° E
visible
visible
visible