Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Coming Events: A Year of Southern Astronomy for 2023
The table below shows significant astronomical events that can be seen with the unaided eye or minimal equipment in 2023 in Australia (and to some degree elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere, ocultations and eclipses are very region specific).
This year we get a Partial Lunar eclipse best visible from western Australia. A Total Solar eclipse is visible from the tip of Western Australia and everywhere else sees a partial eclipse (best from WA and central north). There are good oppositions of Jupiter and Saturn. We also get an occultation of the Pleiades and a binocular comet.
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 | |
| 3 January 2023 | Moon between Mars and Pleiades |
| 5 January 2023 | Earth at Perihelion |
| 21 January 2023 | Crescent Moon near Mercury in morning twilight. |
| 23 January 2023 | Saturn, Venus and Crescent Moon close in the evening twilight |
| 26 January 2023 | Crescent Moon close to Jupiter |
| February | |
| 4 February 2023 | Comet C/2022 E3 visible above northern horizon (binocular) |
| 11-13 February 2023 | Comet C/2033 E3 comes close to Mars the enters the Hyades (binocular) |
| 19 February 2023 | Crescent Moon and Mercury close in the morning twilight |
| 22 February 2023 | Crescent Moon near Venus in evening twilight |
| 23 February 2023 | Crescent Moon close to Jupiter. |
| 28 February 2023 | Waning Moon close to Mars |
| 26-30 February 2023 | Venus and Jupiter come close together ahead of a spectacular conjunction in March |
| March | |
| 2 March 2023 | Venus and Jupiter in a spectacular close approach (0.5 degrees) in evening twilight |
| 3 March 2023 | Mercury very close (1 degrees) to Saturn deep in morning twilight |
| 20 March 2023 | Crescent Moon and Saturn close in early morning twilight |
| 21 March 2023 | Earth at Equinox |
| 24 March 2023 | Crescent Moon and Venus close in evening twilight |
| 28 March 2023 | Waning Moon close to Mars. |
| April | |
| 12 April 2023 | Venus near the Pleiades. |
| 16 April 2023 | Saturn and crescent Moon close in morning sky. |
| 20April 2023 | Total Solar Eclipse; Exmouth WA (partial in the rest of Australia) |
| 23April 2023 | Crescent Moon close to Venus in evening sky |
| 26 April 2023 | Waxing Moon close to Mars in evening sky |
| May | |
| 5/6 May 2023 | Penumbral eclipse of the Moon |
| 6-7 May 2023 | Eta Aquariid meteor shower |
| 14 May 2023 | Waning Moon close to Saturn in the morning sky |
| 18 May 2023 | Mercury, Jupiter and crescent Moon form a triangle in morning twilight |
| 23 May 2023 | Crescent Moon below Venus in the evening sky |
| 24-25 May 2023 | Mars with waxing Moon nearby |
| June | |
| 3 June 2023 | Mars in heart of Beehive cluster (M44), Venus forms line with Castor and Pollux |
| 10 June 2023 | Saturn near waning Moon in morning sky |
| 14 June 2023 | Crescent Moon near Jupiter in morning sky, Venus near Beehive cluster in evening sky |
| 17 June 2023 | Thin Crescent Moon, Mercury and red star Aldebaran form a line low in the morning twilight |
| 22 June 2023 | Earth at solstice |
| 22 June 2023 | Crescent Moon forms triangle with Mars and Venus in evening sky |
| July | |
| 7 July 2023 | Earth at aphelion, waning Moon near Saturn in the morning sky. |
| 8 July 2023 | Venus at greatest brilliance |
| 10 July 2023 | Venus, Mars and the bright star Regulus form a triangle in the evening twilight |
| 12 July 2023 | Crescent Moon close to Jupiter in the morning sky |
| 19 July 2023 | Thin Crescent Moon close to Mercury low in evening twilight |
| 20 July 2023 | Crescent Moon, Venus and bright star Regulus for a triangle in the evening twilight |
| 21 July 2023 | Mars near crescent Moon in the morning twilight |
| 26 July 2023 | Venus, Mercury and Regulus form a triangle |
| 30 July 2023 | Mercury Very close (0.5 degrees) to Regulus, Venus close by |
| 29-30 July 2023 | Southern Delta Aquarids meteor shower |
| August | |
| 2 August 2023 | Perigee Full Moon (“super” Moon) |
| 3 August 2023 | Saturn close (2 degrees) to Moon in evening sky |
| 8-9 August 2023 | Jupiter near waning Moon |
| 18 August 2023 | Thin crescent Moon forms triangle with Mercury and Mars in evening twilight |
| 19 August 2023 | Thin crescent Moon forms line with Mercury and Mars in evening twilight |
| 27 August 2023 | Saturn at opposition |
| 30 August 2023 | Saturn near waxing Moon in evening |
| 31 August 2023 | Perigee Full Moon (“Super” Moon) also Blue Moon |
| September | |
| 4 September 2023 | Jupiter close to waning Moon in evening sky |
| 12 September 2023 | Thin crescent Moon close to Venus in dawn sky |
| 16-17 September 2023 | Crescent Moon near Mars |
| 23 September 2023 | Earth at Equinox |
| 27 September 2023 | Saturn close to the waxing Moon |
| October | |
| 1-2 October 2023 | Jupiter and waning Moon near in evening sky |
| 11 October 2023 | Venus and crescent Moon close in morning sky |
| 24 October 2023 | Saturn and the waxing Moon close in evening sky |
| 21-22 October 2023 | Orionid meteor shower |
| 28 October 2023 | Twilight partial eclipse of the Moon (best from WA) |
| 29 October 2023 | Jupiter and the Full Moon close in evening sky |
| 30-31 October 2023 | Ocultation of the Pleiades (before midnight 30th to early morning 31st) |
| November | |
| 3 November 2023 | Opposition of Jupiter |
| 10 November 2023 | Crescent Moon near Venus in morning sky |
| 14 November 2023 | Opposition of Uranus |
| 18 November 2023 | Leonid Meteor Shower |
| 20 November 2023 | Waxing Moon near Saturn in the evening sky |
| 25 November 2023 | Waxing Moon near Jupiter in Evening sky |
| 29 November 2023 | Occultation of bright star Beta Tauri in morning sky |
| December | |
| 10 December 2023 | Venus and crescent Moon close |
| 14 December 2023 | Geminid Meteor shower in the morning |
| 14 December 2023 | Mercury near thin crescent Moon low in the twilight |
| 17-18 December 2023 | Waxing Moon near Saturn in the evening |
| 22 December 2023 | Earth is at Solstice |
| 22 December 2023 | Jupiter near waxing Moon in the evening |
| 23 December 2023 | Asteroid Vesta at opposition |
| 31 December 2023 | Venus, Mercury and Mars form a triangle low the twilight morning sky |
Labels: Asteroid, Conjunction, eclipse, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Opposition, Saturn, unaided eye, Venus, Yearly Sky Events
# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 3:50 pm 
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Thanks so much Ian for putting together that astronomical calendar year after year, my kids and I are very grateful for your effort and wish you all the best for 2023
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# posted by 
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