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Monday, January 31, 2022

 

Coming Events: A Year of Southern Astronomy for 2022

Mars, Venus, crescent Moon,  Mercury and Saturn on 27 February 2022 at 06:04 ACDST, (90 Minutes before sunrise) as seen from Adelaide. Most of Australia will enjoy similar views 90 Minutes before sunrise. Click to embiggen.

The table below shows significant astronomical events that can be seen with the unaided eye or minimal equipment in 2022 in Australia (and to some degree elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, ocultations and eclipses are very region specific). 

This year we get a good Total Lunar eclipse. There are good oppositions of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mars skims past the Pleiades and Hydaes clusters.

As well we have some fantastic parings and lineups and good meteor showers.

Close pairings of the Moon and bright planets are given special attention as not only is the Moon a ready guide to locating the planets if you are not familiar with them, these massings are rather beautiful. 

Special events are bolded.

Date Event
January
1 January 2022 Occultation of Mars
4 January 2022 Earth at Perihelion
4 January 2022 Crescent Moon, Mercury, and Saturn close low in the evening twilight
6 January 2022 Jupiter and Crescent Moon close
30 January 2022 Crescent Moon forms a triangle with Mars and Venus 
February
2 February 2022 Mars close to M28
3 February 2022 Jupiter close to the thin crescent Moon low in the twilight
6 February 2022Mars near globular cluster M22
13 February 2022 Mercury, Mars and Venus form a triangle in the morning sky.
27-28 February 2022 Crescent Moon, Mars and Venus form a triangle in the morning sky.
March
1 March 2022 Mercury, Saturn and thin crescent Moon form a triangle in the morning twilight
3 March 2022 Mercury very close (0.6 degrees) from Saturn in morning twilight
21 March 2022Earth at Equinox, Five bright planets visible in the morning twilight, Jupiter and Mercury close in the morning twilight.
28 March 2022Crescent Moon, Saturn, Venus and Mars from a close massing in the morning twilight with the Moon above
29 March 2022 Crescent Moon, Saturn, Venus and Mars from a close massing in the morning twilight with the Moon below
31 March 2022Thin crescent Moon close to Jupiter low in the morning twilight
April
All April 2022 Four bright planets in the morning sky Moon in the morning sky
5 April 2022 Saturn and Mars very close (0.3 degrees apart) in the morning sky
13 April 2022 Jupiter close to Neptune in the morning sky
26 April 2022 Mars close to the crescent Moon in the morning sky
27-28 April 2022 Crescent Moon close to Venus and Jupiter in the morning sky
28 April 2022 Venus and Neptune in close conjunction (< 30 arc minutes) in the morning sky
May
1  May 2022 Venus and Jupiter very close in the morning sky (0.2 degrees apart)
6-7 May 2022 Eta Aquariid meteor shower
22 May 2022
Waning Moon above Saturn
25 May 2022Mars, Jupiter and waning Moon form a triangle in morning sky
27 May 2022 Crescent Moon above Venus
30 May 2022 Mars and Jupiter very close in the morning sky (0.6 degrees apart)
June
1 June 2022 Mars and Jupiter very close in the morning sky (1.0 degrees apart)
18 June 2022 Saturn near waning Moon low in the late evening sky
14 June 2022 Perigee Full Moon ("super Moon")
21 June 2022 Earth at solstice
22 June 2022 Mercury in head of Hyades near Aldebaran in morning sky, waning Moon near Jupiter
26 June 2022 Crescent  Moon between Venus and Pleiades in the morning sky
27 June 2022 Crescent  Moon near Mercury in the morning sky
July
1 July 2022 Venus close to Aldebaran in the morning, forming a second eye for Taurus the Bull
4 July 2022 Earth at aphelion
14 July 2022Syzygy Perigee full moon ("super Moon") closest of year
15 July 2022
Moon close to Saturn
19 July
Moon close to Jupiter
22 July 2022 Waning crescent Moon close to Mars (within binocular field)
27 July 2022 Venus near crescent Moon in the morning twilight
29-30 July 2022 Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower
30 July 2022 Mercury close to crescent moon in western evening twilight
31 July
Mars and Uranus 2 degrees apart (in same binocular filed)
August
1-3 August 2022 Mars and Uranus less than  2 degrees apart (in same binocular filed)
4 August 2022 Mercury very close to Regulus (0.7 degrees) in the evening twilight
12 August 2022 Saturn close to Full Moon (perigee "super" Moon)
15 August 2022 Saturn at opposition
15 August 2022 Jupiter close to Waning Moon (1 degree)
20 August 2022 Mars near Moon in Morning
22 August 2022 Jupiter near Moon
29 August 2022 Mercury near thin crescent Moon in evening sky, Mars between Pleiades and Hyades in the morning sky
September
3 September 2022 Mars forms second "eye" in Taurus the Bull with Aldebaran in morning sky
8 September 2022 Waxing moon close to Saturn in evening sky
11 September 2022 Waning Moon close to Jupiter in evening sky
23 September 2022 Earth at Equinox
27 September 2022 Jupiter at Opposition
October
5 October 2022 Saturn and waxing Moon close in evening sky
8 October 2022 Jupiter and waxing Moon close in evening sky
14 October 2022 Mars and the waxing Moon close in evening sky
21-22 October 2022 Orionid meteor shower
November
2 November 2022 Waxing Moon near Saturn in evening sky
4-5 November 2022Waxing Moon near Jupiter in evening sky
8 November 2022 Total Lunar Eclipse
11 November 2022 Waxing Moon near Mars in evening sky
18 November 2022Leonid Meteor Shower
December
2 December 2022 Jupiter and waxing Moon close
8 December 2022 Mars at opposition and close to Full Moon
14 December 2022
Geminid Meteor shower in the morning (waning Moon close this year)
22 December 2022 Earth is at Solstice
24 December 2022 Venus and Mercury and thin crescent Moon are close in evening twilight.
26 December
Saturn near crescent Moon
28-30 December 2022 Venus and Mercury at their closest in evening twilight.
29 December 2022 Jupiter close (1 degree) from the waning Moon in evening

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Monday, January 24, 2022

 

Thursday January 27 to Thursday February 3

The New Moon is Tuesday, February 1.  Jupiter is now alone in the night sky, setting  around the time the sky is full dark. The thin crescent Moon is close to Jupiter on February 3. Mars is readily visible in the morning sky in the teapot of Sagittarius. On the 27-28th Mars is close to the Lagoon Nebula. Venus climbing in the morning twilight towards Mars. On the 30th the thin crescent moon forms a triangle with Mars and Venus.

The New Moon is Tuesday, February 1.

Morning sky on Sunday January 30 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 5:30 ACDST (60 minutes before sunrise). Mars is above the horizon in Sagittarius with Venus below and the crescent Moon forming a triangle with them.


 

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).

Evening sky on Saturday January 29  looking west as seen from Adelaide at 21:27 ACDST (60 minutes after sunset).  Jupiter is setting.

 

 

 

Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Whole sky on January 29, 22:02 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). Orion, Taurus and the Pleiades can be seen above the northern horizon.

 

 

 

 Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

 

Mercury  is lost in the twilight but returns to the morning sky by the end of the week.

Venus is rising in the morning twilight towards Mars.

Mars is rising higher, and is visible in the morning sky in the teapot of Sagittarius. On the 27-28th Mars is close to the Lagoon Nebula. On the 30th the thin crescent moon forms a triangle with Mars and Venus.
   
Jupiter is readily visible in the western twilight sky but is setting when the sky is fully dark.
 
Saturn is lost in the twilight.  
 
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.


 

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/



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Wednesday, January 19, 2022

 

Thursday January 20 to Thursday January 27

The Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday, January 25.  After months of exciting evening planetary action Jupiter is now alone in the night sky, setting  around the time the sky is full dark. Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard is just visible in binoculars below the star Gamma Grusis when the Moon is below the horizon. Mars is readily visible in the morning sky below Scorpius. Venus is low in the morning twilight.

The Last Quarter Moon is Tuesday, January 25.

Morning sky on January 22 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 5:21 ACDST (45 minutes before sunrise). Mars is above the horizon below Scorpius and Venus is low to the horizon.


 Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (45 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). 


Evening sky on Saturday January 22  looking west as seen from Adelaide at 21:36 ACDST (60 minutes after sunset).  Jupiter is setting.

 

 Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Whole sky on January 22, 22:16 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). Orion, Taurus and the Pleiades can be seen above the eastern horizon.

 

 

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset). 

Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard as seen looking west from Adelaide at January 22, 21:39 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). Similar views will be seen in elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sunset.

Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) is a nice little binocular object, but fading. It is  now relatively easy to find as it is in a binocular field of the brightish star Gamma Grusis, easily found by following the trail for stars from the two prominent stars of the constellation of Grus, the Crane.

Mercury  is lost in the twilight

Venus is low in the morning twilight.

Mars is rising higher, and is visible in the morning sky below Scorpius.
   
Jupiter is readily visible in the western sky but is setting when the sky is fully dark.
 
Saturn is lost in the twilight.  
 
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.


 

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/



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Tuesday, January 11, 2022

 

Thursday January 13 to Thursday January 20

The Full Moon is Tuesday, January 18.  Three bright planets are seen forming a line in the early evening twilight. These are Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter.  Mercury and Saturn are low in the twilight and difficult to see. Jupiter is prominent but sets around the time the sky is full dark.Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard is visible in binoculars below the star Gamma Grusis but fading and the waning moon may make to more difficult to see.

The Full Moon is Tuesday, January 18. The Moon is at apogee, when it is furthest from the Earth, on January 14.


Morning sky on January 15 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 4:19 ACDST (90 minutes before sunrise). Mars is low above the horizon below Scorpius and the bright red star Antares.


 Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen). 


Evening sky on January 15  looking west as seen from Adelaide at 21:03 ACDST (30 minutes after sunset).  Mercury and Saturn are low in the the twilight.

 

Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (30 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen)


Evening sky on January 15  looking west as seen from Adelaide at 22:14 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset).  Jupiter is setting.

 

 

Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Whole sky showing the Jupiter and the Moon, January 15, 22:14 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). Orion, Taurus and the Pleiades can be seen above the eastern horizon.

 

 

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset). 

Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard as seen looking west from Adelaide at January 15, 21:39 ACDST, 60 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen). Similar views will be seen in elsewhere in Australia 60 minutes after sunset.

Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) is a nice little binocular object. It is yet again in outburst and has a very clear little tail. It is  now relatively easy to fins as it is in a binocular field of the brightish star Gamma Grusis, easily found by following the trail for stars from the two prominent stars of the constellation of Grus, the Crane.


Mercury  is lowering in the early evening twilight and forms a line with Saturn and Jupiter. It may be difficult to see in then twilight glow.

Venus is lost in the twilight.

Mars is rising higher in the twilight.
   
Jupiter is readily visible in the western sky but is setting when the sky is fully dark. Mercury , Saturn and Jupiter form a line in the early twilight sky
 
Saturn is now too low for telescopic observation and difficult or see in the twilight.  
 
Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.


 

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/



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