Skywatch Line for Monday, and Tuesday, January 27th and 28th, written by Joe Slomka
This is the Skywatch Line for Monday, and Tuesday, January 27th and 28th, written by Joe Slomka
The Sun sets at 5:02 PM; night falls at 6:40. Dawn begins at 5:36 AM and ends with the Sun rising at 7:14.
Monday’s Moon rises at 6:19 AM in Sagittarius and sets at 2:46 PM. Tuesday’s Moon rises at 7:03 AM in Capricornus and sets at 3:59 PM. Both Moons are close to Sun, Pluto, and Mercury. Observers can see the Moon during daylight if they take care to avoid looking at the Sun. Wednesday’s New Moon rises at 7:36 AM.
Algol, a variable star, reaches maximum at 10:13 PM on Monday; it lies in northeast Perseus.
Saturn remains the first to be seen in southwestern Aquarius, it rises at 9:07 AM, shines with 1st magnitude, appears a moderate 16 arc-seconds in size, highest at 2:40 PM, by 7 PM it is 13° high and sets at 8:13 PM. Venus and Neptune accompany Saturn. Venus, 8° from Saturn, rises with Saturn, blazes with minus 4th magnitude, 30 arc-seconds, highest at 3:01 PM, 21° high, 41% illuminated and sets at 9:06 PM. Neptune, 4° from Venus, rises at 9:28 AM, 8th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds, highest at 3:19 PM, 23° high at 7 PM and sets at 9:14 PM.
Southern Uranus inhabits Aries, rises at 11:38 AM, 5th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds, highest at 6:48 PM, by 7 PM it is 65° high and sets at 2:02 AM.
Southeastern Jupiter, 18° from Uranus, is brightest once Venus sets, in Taurus, minus 2nd magnitude, a large 44 arc-seconds, rises at 12:39 PM, 69° highest at 8:03 PM and sets at 3:36 AM. Monday, Ganymede’s shadow begins to cross at 9:36 PM and exits at 11:58 PM. Tuesday, Europa starts its trek at 3:29 AM and ends at 5:39 AM; its shadow commences travel at 5:39 AM and becomes lost in sunrise. The Great Red Spot (a large storm) is visible at 4:21 AM. Wednesday presents the Great Red Spot at 12:13 AM.
Eastern Mars, now past Opposition in Gemini, rises at 3:14 PM, minus 1st magnitude, 14 arc-seconds, 73° highest at 11 PM and sets at 6:54 AM. Tuesday, one hour after sunset reveals stars Castor and Pollux escorting Mars.
Wednesday celebrates Chinese New Year. China, like Hebrew and Islamic religious calendars, uses a lunar calendar. Lunar calendars have twelve lunar months, averaging 29 1/2 days; lunar years contain about 354 days. Chinese emperors added extra months seven times within a 19-year cycle, bringing lunar and solar calendars into sync. Chinese number their months, but assign names to the years according to a complicated formula. The year name has two parts. The first part refers to a 60-year cycle of ten names, which repeat. The second part names the years after the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. This year is the Year of the Snake, followed by: the Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, and Dragon.
Clear Skies Joe Slomka