The Full Moon is Monday February 2. Saturn is low in the western sky. Jupiter is rising before astronomical twilight and was at opposition, when it biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 10th. The nearly full Moon is close to Jupiter on the 31st. Uranus can be seen in binoculars above the Pleiades cluster. Comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos may be visible in binoculars by the end of the week.
The Full Moon is Monday February 2. The Moon at perigee when it is closest to Earth on the 30th.
Eastern sky on the evening of Saturday, January 31 as seen from Adelaide
at 22:00 ACDST ( 90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).
The planet Uranus is theoretically visible to the unaided eye from Dark sky locations, as it is magnitude 5.7, but it is best seen with binoculars. The beautiful and obvious Pleiades cluster is the signpost to the faint planet. The waxing moon may make finding Uranus harder until the end of the week.
The inset is the binocular view of the Pleiades and Uranus at this time.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time ( 90 minutes after sunset).
Western
sky on Saturday, January 31 as seen from Adelaide at 21:25ACDST (60
minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Saturn is lowering in the west.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Saturn at this time.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).
North-eastern sky on Saturday, January 21 as seen from Adelaide at 22:00 ACDST (90
minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 10th, but will be bright for many months. The nearly Full Moon is close to Jupiter making an attractive pattern with Jupiter and the bright stars Castor and Pollux.
The inset shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at this time.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90
minutes after sunset).
Western
sky on Thursday, February 5 as seen from Adelaide at 21:54 ACDST (90
minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Saturn is sinking in the west. Comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos is close to the constellation of Grus the crane.
Comet C/2024 E1 Wierzchos was predicted to be bright, but has remained dim. By the end of the week the comet will be higher in the evening skies when the sky is fully dark and the bright moon is rising later. It may be visible in binoculars at this time.
The inset shows the binocular view of the comet at this this time, close to the two stars forming the wing of the Crane.
Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).
Whole sky on Saturday, January 31 as seen from Adelaide at 22:00 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click
to embiggen).
Saturn is lowering in the northwest. Jupiter is rising in the northeast.
Bright Canopus and Sirius are near the Zenith. Orion is now high in the north-western sky.
The
Southern Cross is low in the Southern sky. The moon is nearly full and
the fainter clusters and nebula are becoming harder to see.
Elsewhere
in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).
Mercury is lost in the twilight.
Venus is lost in the twilight glow.
Mars is lost in the twilight.
Jupiter climbs in the morning twilight and is now rising before astronomical twilight. Jupiter forms a triangle with the bright stars Castor and Pollux, and Procyon. The nearly Full Moon is close to Jupiter making an attractive pattern with Jupiter and the bright stars Castor and Pollux. Jupiter was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on the 10th.
Saturn is the brightest object in the north-western skies but is getting lower.
Labels: weekly sky
# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 6:00 pm
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