Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday January 1st (New Year’s Day) and 2nd, 2024 by Joe Slomka

This is the Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday January 1st (New Year’s Day) and 2nd, written by Joe Slomka.

The Sun sets at 4:32 PM; night falls at 6:14. Dawn breaks at 5:44 AM and ends with sunrise at 7:26.

Tuesday finds Earth at Perihelion (closest to the Sun). At 7:39 PM it lies 91,404,095 miles, 3% closer than it will be in July.

Monday’s Moon sets at 10:51 AM and rises at 10:11 PM; at Midnight it is found in eastern Leo, 20.5 days old, 18° high, 29 arc-minutes in size, 75% illuminated and sets at 11:09 AM, Tuesday. Tuesday’s Moon rises at 11:12 PM, still in Leo, at Midnight 28° high, 67% lit, 56° highest at 5:24 AM, Wednesday, and sets at 11:27 AM.

All evening planets rise during daytime. Southwestern Saturn will occupy Aquarius all year; it also creeps closer to the Sun this month, from 53° to 25° by month’s end. By 7 PM, Saturn shines with zero magnitude, appears 16 arc-seconds in size, 21° high and sets at 8:48 PM. Neptune, 21° behind Saturn, inhabits Pisces, smolders with 8th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds, highest at sunset, 36° at 7 PM and sets at 10:41 PM.

Gas Giant Jupiter shares Aries with Uranus, in the South, glimmers with minus 2nd magnitude, appears 44 arc-seconds, 59° highest at 7:24 PM and sets at 2:13 AM. Monday, observers can see the Great Red Spot (a giant storm) at 11:03 PM. Wednesday, a series of events begins with the moon Ganymede being eclipsed at 1:59 AM, ending at 3:51. Europa’s trip begins at 3:52. The Great Red Spot begins at 4:50 AM. Uranus trails Jupiter by 14°, 5th magnitude, appears 3 arc-seconds, 62° at 7 PM, 64° highest at 8:17 PM and sets at 3:27 AM.

Asteroid 4Vesta inhabits Taurus 36° in the East at 7 PM, shines with 7th magnitude, but 0.4 arc-seconds, 68° highest at 10:56 PM and sets at 6:26 AM.

Monday begins the New Year, it also celebrates the anniversary of the Gregorian calendar, which we use daily. Until 1582, the calendar Julius Caesar adopted was still in effect. It became increasingly apparent that the calendar was out of step with civil and religious seasons. A little-known Italian doctor, Aloysius Lilius, wrote a letter to the Pope pointing out this problem. An initially skeptical Christopher Clavius saw the wisdom of Lilius’ solutions and championed them before the newly elected Pope. The Pope declared the reformed calendar effective on October 15, 1582. Catholic countries quickly adopted the change, even though people “lost” 10 days that year. Slowly other countries adopted it – the last being China in 1949. Alas, Lilius is almost forgotten, while the calendar was named for the Pope and a major crater on the Moon enshrines Clavius.