The brightest star in January. What to watch: the starry sky in January

Interactive map of the starry sky at midnight on January 1, 2019 at the latitude of Moscow (controlled by the mouse). Developer: Stuart Lowe

Time inexorably runs forward, and now 2018 is already counting its last days. Ahead of the New Year's Eve of the new, 2019. Time for new starts, hopes, plans. We hope that one of our readers will certainly plan to become seriously interested in astronomy in the new year or simply expand their horizons with knowledge of the star patterns of the night sky. But even if you don't plan on either, your attention is likely to be caught by the night sky covered in stars from time to time. And, perhaps, one of these moments can be New Year's Eve, during which many are awake and spend time on the street "under the starry dome of the sky" (if, of course, the weather permits). And today we will tell you what the starry sky will be like on the first night of the upcoming 2019.

Evening December 31, 2018

The last light day of the outgoing 2018 will end at sunset, which at the latitude of Moscow will happen at 16:04. And after about an hour and a half, the last rays of the evening dawn will go out in the southwestern part of the sky, and the dome of the sky will be decorated with patterns of constellations.

With the onset of darkness, we first look into the southern part of the sky, where the planet Mars is located low above the horizon, which in these months is visible in the sky as a bright reddish star, comparable in brightness to the brightest stars in the night sky. However, there are no bright stars in the southern part of the sky in the early December evenings, so Mars in December 2018 shines here as the only bright “star”, which will undoubtedly allow anyone to accurately find it in the sky.

Mars in late December 2018 - early January 2019 moves through the constellation Pisces from west to east. This extended constellation is completely devoid of bright stars and is unlikely to attract your attention. But above Mars, notice a large square of fairly bright stars high above the horizon. This is the central part of the constellation Pegasus. From the upper left of the star of the "square" Pegasus, a chain of stars of the constellation Andromeda stretches, above which the constellation Cassiopeia is clearly visible in the form of the Latin letter W.

Below Cassiopeia and to the left of Andromeda, we find the T-shaped constellation Perseus and turn our gaze to the eastern part of the sky, where the stars of bright winter constellations are already rising. Above the horizon, constellations such as the Charioteer, Taurus have already risen. Gemini and Orion are rising, which is perhaps the most beautiful constellation. As for the well-known bucket of Ursa Major, it can be found low in the northern part of the sky.

And in the western part of the sky, you can still find three bright stars. Deneb (α Cygnus) is visible high in the sky, below and to the right of which the bright Vega (α Lyra) shines, and very low above the horizon, the bright white star Altair (α Eagle) is visible. And these three bright stars, being the decoration of summer and autumn starry evenings, form in the sky summer-autumn triangle.

Midnight January 1, 2019

Take note of the positions of the stars tonight, and then look back up at midnight on January 1, 2019. And you will notice how much his appearance has changed. All the bright winter constellations are located in the southern part of the sky. First of all, it is Orion, distinguished by three stars lined up in one slender line, above which the reddish Betelgeuse (α Orioni) flickers, and below and to the right is the bright white Rigel (β Orioni). Above and to the right of Orion, high in the southwestern part of the sky, are the stars of the constellation Taurus with bright orange Aldebaran (α Taurus), as well as open star clusters clearly visible to the naked eye - Hyades and Pleiades. High in the sky in its southern part, a large pentagon of the constellation Auriga is visible with a bright yellow Capella (α Aurigae). Below and to the left of the Charioteer (above and to the left of Orion), the stars of Gemini are striking. These are, first of all, two bright stars: Castor (the one that is higher) and Pollux (the one that is lower and slightly brighter). On star charts, these stars are denoted by the Greek letters α and β, respectively. Below Gemini is seen small constellation Canis Minor with bright white Procyon (α Minor Canis). And finally, at a small height above the horizon in the southern part of the sky, we will find a very bright white-blue star. This is Sirius (α Canis Major) - the brightest star in the earth's night sky. Its brilliance has a negative value - minus 1.4 stars. led. Now look for Procyon and Betelgeuse again and you will notice that in the sky these three bright stars form an almost equilateral triangle, which is called - winter triangle.

Dawn January 1, 2019

And those of you who find the strength to wait for the first morning of the new year will be rewarded with an amazingly beautiful heavenly picture that will appear before us at about 6 o'clock in the morning in the southeastern part of the sky. Here, the golden crescent of the waning moon will decorate the sky, below and to the left of which the planet Venus will shine with a bright yellowish star. And after 7 o'clock in the morning, against the background of the morning dawn, a yellowish Jupiter will appear low in the southeastern part of the sky, which can be found in the morning sky on January 1, drawing a mental line from the crescent of the Moon through Venus to the horizon. Jupiter, although inferior to Venus in brilliance, is still quite bright, so it is noticeable even against the background of the dawn. But it is advisable to try to find it before 8 o'clock in the morning, since then Jupiter will quickly disappear in the bright rays of the rising morning dawn.

In January, in the evening sky, Mars and Venus take turns passing close conjunctions with Neptune, which require a telescope to observe, since distant Neptune is inaccessible to weak optical instruments, especially in the evening sky. Mercury visible for about an hour against the background of the dawn at the most southwestern horizon. Venus sparkles with a bright Evening Star above the southwestern horizon, first in the constellation of Aquarius, by the end of the month passing into the constellation of Pisces. Mars observed in the evening sky over the southwestern horizon in the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. Jupiter visible above the southeastern horizon in the second half of the night in the constellation Virgo, moving over its bright star Spica. Saturn visible in the morning sky just above the southeastern horizon. Uranus and Neptune visible in the evening and at night in the constellations of Pisces and Aquarius.

Moon will approach the indicated planets: on January 2 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.15 - with Venus, on January 3 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.23 - with Mars and Neptune, on January 6 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.57 - with Uranus, on January 19 in the morning at lunar phase 0.60 - with Jupiter, January 24 in the morning with a lunar phase of 0.15 - with Saturn, January 26 in the morning with a lunar phase of 0.04 - with Mercury, January 30 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.05 - with Neptune. For observations, it is better to choose nights when the Moon near the full phases does not pass near the observed planet.

The visibility conditions are given for the middle latitudes of Russia (about 56°N). For cities to the north and south, celestial bodies will be located at the indicated time, respectively, slightly lower or higher (by the difference in latitudes) relative to their places in the sky of Bratsk. To clarify the local conditions for the visibility of planets, use planetarium programs.

MERCURY moving backwards in the constellation Sagittarius, on January 8, changing the movement to a straight line. The planet is visible at dawn for a month, reaching a maximum western elongation of 24 degrees on January 12, after which it returns to approach the Sun, completing visibility. The apparent diameter of Mercury decreases from 9 to 5 arc seconds with increasing brightness from +3.2m to -0.3m. The phase of Mercury changes from 0.05 to 0.8 per month. Successful observations of Mercury during periods of visibility require binoculars, an open horizon, and a clear twilight sky.

The position of Mercury in the morning sky of January 2017 during the period of maximum elongation

VENUS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. The planet is visible in the evening dawn over the southwestern horizon, reaching a maximum angular distance from the Sun of 47 degrees on January 12, after which it will begin its rendezvous with the Sun. The duration of the visibility of Venus against the background of the twilight sky reaches 4 hours by the end of the month. The angular dimensions of the planet's disk increase from 21 to 30 arc seconds. The phase of the planet decreases from 0.57 to 0.4 with increasing brightness from -4.5m to -4.8m. Such a bright brilliance and angular distance from the Sun make it possible to observe Venus during the day with the naked eye (assuming a transparent clear blue sky).

On January 13, Venus will come close to Neptune, reaching an angular distance in the sky of 0.35 degrees.

MARS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. It can be observed in the evenings for 4-5 hours above the southwestern horizon. The brightness of the planet decreases from +1m to +1.2m in a month, and the angular diameter adheres to the value of 5". For observations, a telescope with a lens diameter of 60-90 mm is required. To observe the details on the disk of Mars, the moment of opposition, which occurs once every two years, is best suited. At other periods, Mars appears in a telescope as a tiny reddish disk with no details. The next opposition of Mars will occur on July 27, 2018 (Great Opposition!).

On January 1, Mars will come close to Neptune, reaching an angular distance of 0.016 degrees in the sky.

JUPITER moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Virgo (above * Spica). The gas giant rises above the southeastern horizon at night and increases visibility from 6 to 8 hours by the end of the month. The angular diameter of the giant planet in the sky increases from 35 to 38 arcseconds, and the brightness from -1.8m to -2.0m.

Position of Jupiter in the morning sky January 2017

Four bright satellites of the giant are visible through binoculars - due to the rapid orbital movement, they noticeably change their position relative to each other and Jupiter during one night (the configurations of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto can be found in astronomical calendars or in planetarium programs).

The telescope distinguishes bands (northern and southern equatorial bands), shadows from satellites periodically pass across the planet’s disk, as well as the famous huge oval cyclone BKP (Great Red Spot), which makes a complete revolution along with the planet’s atmosphere in 9.5 hours. The current longitude of the BKP can be found at http://jupos.privat.t-online.de/rGrs.htm. The BKP appears about 2 hours before passing through the meridian and disappears after 2 hours (goes beyond the disk).

The moments of the passage of the BKP through the central meridian of Jupiter in January 2017 (universal time UT)
To get the time for Bratsk, you need to add 8 hours to UTC

Current longitude of BKP 262°

1 03:01 12:57 22:52 2 08:46 18:41 3 04:39 14:34 4 00:32 10:27 20:23 5 06:17 16:12 6 02:10 12:05 22:01 7 07:54 17:50 8 03:47 13:43 23:39

9 09:32 19:28 10 05:25 15:21 11 01:18 11:14 21:09 12 07:03 16:58 13 02:56 12:51 22:47 14 08:41 18:36 15 04:34 14:29

16 00:26 10:22 20:18 17 06:11 16:07 18 02:04 12:00 21:56 19 07:49 17:45 20 03:42 13:37 23:33 21 09:26 19:22 22 05:19 15:15

23 01:12 11:08 21:04 24 06:57 16:53 25 02:50 12:46 22:41 26 08:35 18:30 27 04:28 14:23 28 00:20 10:16 20:12 29 06:05 16:01

30 01:58 11:54 21:49 31 07:43 17:38

SATURN moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Ophiuchus. The planet is observed in the morning near the southeastern horizon, increasing the duration of visibility from 1 to 2 hours during the month. The angular diameter of Saturn is 15 seconds of arc at magnitude +0.6m.

In a small telescope, the ring around the planet and the satellite Titan (+8m) are clearly distinguished. The visible dimensions of the planet's ring are about 40x16 arc seconds. At present, the rings of the planet are open at 27° and the north pole of the gas giant is illuminated by the Sun.

Position of Saturn in the morning sky in January 2017

URANUS moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces. The planet can be observed from late evening until midnight during moonless periods (i.e. at the beginning and at the end of the month). The brightness of the planet adheres to the value of +5.8m at an angular diameter of 3".

During opposition periods, Uranus can be observed with the naked eye in a clear transparent sky, in the absence of illumination from the Moon (near the new moon) and away from city lights. In a 150-mm telescope with a magnification of 80x and higher, you can see a greenish disk ("pea") of the planet. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness weaker than +13m.

The position of Uranus and Neptune, Mars and Venus in the evening sky at the end of January 2017

NEPTUNE moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Aquarius near the star lambda (3.7m). The planet is visible in the evening sky, the duration of visibility decreases from 5 to 2 hours. The brightness of the planet is +7.9m magnitude with an angular diameter of about 2".

Binoculars or a telescope using star charts and a clear, transparent and moonless sky will help you find Neptune during periods of visibility. To view the disk of the planet, you need a 200-mm telescope with a magnification of 100 times or more (with a transparent sky). The satellites of Neptune have a brightness weaker than +13m.

The transparent clean winter air of January creates excellent conditions for observing the winter sky, if it is not overcast.

Moscow sky January 12, 2019 8 pm, west. Moon and Mars in Pisces. Neptune in Aquarius and Uranus on the border of Pisces and Aries

Moscow sky January 18, 2019 0 a.m., south. Moon in Taurus near Hyades and Aldebaran. Orion, Unicorn, Canis Minor, Canis Major, Eridanus and Hare

Moscow sky January 22 8.30, southeast. Venus and Jupiter in Ophiuchus. Saturn and Pluto in Sagittarius, Ceres in Libra. Pallas in Virgo.

Nebula Rosette from the constellation Unicorn. At its center is the open star cluster NGC 2244.

Open cluster M 50 (NGC 2323) from the constellation Monoceros

Excellent objects for observation in the winter frosty air are Taurus with the Hyades, Pleiades and the famous Crab Nebula M 1. Charioteer and Orion are moving behind Taurus. Star Twins float above Orion. Below Gemini, to the left of Orion is Canis Minor. Between Orion and Small Dog lurked the Unicorn.

The constellation of Orion, rich in bright stars, looks great. The sky hunter delights us with its appearance on frosty winter evenings and looks great even in the foggy city sky. A kind of heavenly bow. Above Orion's Shoulders - Betelgeuse (0.45 m, M4) and Bellatrix, below - Sayf and Rigel. In the middle between these two bases, three stars lined up in a row are visible - Orion's Belt. The belt indicates the direction to the brightest star in our sky - Sirius, α Canis Major (- 1.46 m, A0). Sirius, Procyon (α Minor Canis, 0.4 m, F5) and Betelgeuse make up the so-called winter triangle. From Betelgeuse to Bellatrix 5°. Moving from Betelgeuse 30 ° to the left, we find Procyon - the brightest star from the constellation Canis Minor.

Below Orion's Belt hangs a sword of three stars aligned in a perpendicular direction. The famous Orion Nebula M 42 can be found near the middle star of the sword. This is the brightest diffuse nebula with a brightness of about 4 m and a size of approximately 80 'x 60', which is more than 4 times the area of ​​the full moon. Thanks to this, the nebula looks good through binoculars even with a brightening sky. M 42 lies about 1344 light years from Earth and is 33 light years across.

If we extend the line from Bellatrix through Betelgeuse further, then we will get to the Unicorn and its treasures. On the way, we must meet the star Epsilon Unicorn. Pay attention to this constellation, named after the mythological animal. In Latin, its name is Monoceros, abbreviated as Mon. The constellation is quite extensive, 482 square degrees, 35th in area, but poor in bright stars. There are only two stars there, brighter than 4m. But it is located within the Milky Way and is rich in star clusters and nebulae. The Unicorn Nebula is home to the Rosette Nebula, the Cone Nebula (NGC 2264), the Hubble Variable Nebula (NGC 2261) and others. In ancient times, such a constellation was not known. It was introduced in the first half of the 17th century. German astronomer Jacob Bartsch (Barchius). Sometimes the authorship is attributed to Jan Hevelius. Catholic Church connected the unicorn with the idea of ​​the virginity of the Mother of God and the incarnation of Christ.

A very interesting object to observe is the already mentioned giant Rosette Nebula, a region of molecular hydrogen where star formation processes are taking place. The nebula lies about 5,200 light-years from Earth (estimates vary considerably). Its diameter is approximately 130 light years, and its mass is about 10,000 solar masses. Due to the abundance of hydrogen, the nebula has a red tint in most photographs. At the center of the nebula are the bright blue stars of the open cluster NGC 2244. The cluster has an angular diameter of 24′, almost full moon. Glitter 4,80 m . Separates the cluster from us 5200 light years. Radial speed 34 km/s. The cluster is moving away from us, albeit not very quickly. Spectral type, determined by the hottest of the O5 stars. Its age is 3 million years.

The open cluster M 50 (NGC 2323) in the constellation Monoceros stands out well in a region of the sky poor in stars. It was first discovered by Giovanni Cassini (before 1711) and then independently discovered by Charles Messier in 1772. Perhaps this is not the most remarkable cluster, but it is in winter that it is most accessible for observation. It contains up to 50 stars of different brightness and color (12 m - 16 m), but to see them all, you need a telescope with a magnification of at least 60. The total brightness is 6.3 m. When viewed through binoculars, among the mostly blue-white stars, one red one stands out. Reference star θ Canis Major.

4° from ε Mon towards the zenith will lead to the white star 13 Mon (4.47 m , A0). The open cluster NGC 2251 is located 1° above it. Luminosity 7.3 m. Age 300 million years. The cluster is moving away at a speed of 8 km/s.

Venus flaunts in the morning sky. It appears at about 5 o'clock in the morning and is perfectly visible in the Moscow sky. In January, perhaps, the best conditions for its observation in 2019. It is visible even after sunrise in the morning. The brightness of Venus falls from -4.6m to -4.3m in a month, but will still give odds to any other planet or star. The apparent diameter of the nearest inner planet decreases from 26″ to 20″. Aphrodite moves away from us in space. The Venusian phase grows from 0.48 to 0.62. The height above the horizon promises to exceed 5°.

New Year beautiful Aphrodite meets in the southeast, the constellation of Libra. On January 10, she moves from Libra to Scorpio, on January 15 she moves to Ophiuchus and at the very end of the month approaches Sagittarius. On January 22, Venus will sail only 2 ° above Jupiter. The meeting of these brightest planets will decorate any photo.

Home, the largest planet solar system, Jupiter appears in the morning sky in the company of Venus. Not as bright as the beautiful Aphrodite, but it will not be difficult to distinguish it from the starry background. Venus catches up and overtakes him. At the beginning of this year, the new location of Jupiter is Ophiuchus. Southeast side. Ahead is Sagittarius. Jupiter's brightness and apparent size increase slightly from -1.6 m to -1.7 m and from 32″ to 34″, respectively. Noteworthy are the meetings of Jupiter with the Moon on January 3 and 31.

Mercury can be seen in the constellation Sagittarius an hour before sunrise. A very good moment for observations, its brightness grows from −0.4 m to −1.5 m in a month. Brighter than Mars! At the same time, the visible diameter slowly decreases from 5.2″ to 4.8″.

Mars is celebrating the new year in the constellation Pisces. Only on January 11 will it hit the corner of the constellation Cetus. Mars has moved away from Neptune and is in a hurry to meet Uranus with a direct movement. Evening visibility until midnight. The brilliance of Mars decreases before our eyes from +0.5 m to +0.9 m in a month, the apparent diameter decreases from 7″ to 6″, and the Martian phase from 0.87 to 0.89. Mars becomes similar to Saturn, and in apparent diameter tends to Uranus. But high above the horizon.

At the limit of visibility low above the horizon before sunrise towards the end of January, there is a chance to see Saturn. January 1st was the Junction. The seat of Saturn is Sagittarius, south of the light yellow star Albaldach, π Sag (2.85 m, F2). The brightness of Saturn is about +0.6 m, and the diameter is 15″..

In the company of Saturn, Pluto moves in Sagittarius - god underworld and guardian of the boundaries of the solar system. You need to look for it in 3 ° to the left of the star Albald. The brightness of Pluto is about 14.3 m.

Evening visibility of the "invisible" giants of the solar system is still excellent, but its duration of visibility is inevitably reduced. Neptune sails in the constellation Aquarius, west side. The movement is direct between Khidor (λ Aqr) and φ Aqr towards the latter. Mars can be used as a guide. The brightness of Neptune is about 7.9 m. The visible size is stable at 2″. Height above the horizon reaches 27°. The sky god Uranus, more accessible to amateur technology, continues to move between the constellations of Pisces and Aries. Look for it one degree from the star Torcularis Septintriionalis, Pisces omicron, ο Psc (4.26 m , K0). Shine of Uranus 5.8 m. The visible diameter is kept at 4″. The height of Uranus above the horizon reaches 45°.

The dwarf planet Ceres, former asteroid #1, is also following Venus through the constellation Libra, slowly falling behind. Visibility after midnight. The brightness of Ceres grows from 8.88 m to 8.59 m in two months. Observation conditions are improving. Height up to 18°. Almost until the end of January, immediately after sunset, Vesta can be observed in Capricorn. Luster about 7.9 m , height up to 9°. On January 25, she moves into Aquarius. Another asteroid, Pallas, moves through the constellation Virgo, passing between the stars Spica and Heza. The brilliance of Pallas varies from 8.86 m to 9.06 m. The apparent diameter of all three objects, as well as the vast majority of asteroids, is indistinguishable from zero.

The moments of sunset and sunrise of representatives of the solar system in the Moscow sky in hours and minutes are shown in the table in chronological order. Accuracy is five minutes.

Event January 1 January 15 January 31
Sunset 16.00 16.25 17.00
Mercury setting 14.45 15.20 16.55
Neptune set 05/22 15/21 10/20
Rise of Pallas 1.40 0.55 23.40
Mars Setting 23.50 23.50 23.55
Uranus Set 2.35 1.45 0.40
Ceres rising 4.25 4.00 3.25
Venus Rising 4.50 5.15 5.40
Jupiter Rising 6.45 6.15 5.20
Saturn Rising 9.10 8.15 7.15
Pluto Rising 9.40 8.50 7.45
Evnomiya Sunrise 9.15 8.35 7.50
Mercury rising 8.00 8.45 8.50
Sunrise 9.10 9.00 8.45

The year begins with eclipses. January 6, 2019 expected private solar eclipse. In Russia, residents of the south of Eastern Siberia, the Far East and Kamchatka can see the eclipse. The inhabitants of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin will be lucky. The maximum phase of the eclipse 0.725 will come in the east of Yakutia.

January 21 is expected to be full moon eclipse. Residents of the European part of Russia will be able to watch the total phase of the eclipse, the Urals and Western Siberia will get a penumbral phase, and residents of the Far East, the Kamchatka and Chukchi Peninsulas will only see its end. Chronology of the eclipse according to Moscow time

Beginning of the penumbral eclipse 5:36
Beginning of partial shadow eclipse 6:33
Start total eclipse 7:41
Maximum phase 8:12
End of total eclipse 8:43
End of partial shadow eclipse 9:50
End of penumbral eclipse 10:48

January 6th is a new moon, and January 21st is a full moon. The second and last quarters will be on January 14 and 28, respectively.

Approach of celestial objects to the Moon.

Object Date Distance Constellation Visibility
Venus 2.01 0.7° S Libra −
31.01 0.4° S Sagittarius −
Jupiter 3.01 2.2° S Ophiuchus −
31.01 2.2° S Ophiuchus −
Mercury 4.01 2.2° S Sagittarius −
Saturn 5.01 0.3° S Sagittarius −
Hyades 17.01 0.9° S Taurus +
Aldebaran 17.01 1.0° S Taurus +
Nursery 21.01 1.3° С Cancer +
Regulus 23.01 1.7° Yu Lev +

Of the meteor showers, one should pay attention to the Quadrantids in the constellation Bootes; flow activity falls on December 28-January 12; maximum: January 4 ZHR = 120 (may vary from 60 to 200).

Good luck observing!

In January at in social networks users began to share photos of an unusually bright star in the night sky. They immediately remembered the prediction of the “British scientist” David Meade, who believes that in 2017 the Earth will collide with the “planet X” and die. Alas, the death of the Earth is a little delayed. The star in the southwest is Venus.

Here is a photo posted on Instagram the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump by user Igor Gulakov. The photo was taken on a phone, and in the frame is a bright object in the night sky, similar to a star, but unusual in size and luminosity.

I looked up at the sky tonight. A very large, bright star burned in the southwest. By analogy with the Christmas star, the veneration of the Magi, an unusual president appeared today. God willing, if he brings peace. The main thing is that some Herod does not arrange a beating of babies, otherwise they are already arranging unrest, demonstrations.

Many in January noticed that in the southwest after sunset until midnight in clear weather a large star is visible.

Many have wondered: what is this heavenly body?

Is the big, bright "star" I'm looking at right now the same asteroid that was talked about recently?
A bewitching spectacle.

Treeta ☯ 生きることを支援 (@treeta_miobitat) January 25, 2017

Indeed, last year the "famous British scientist" David Meade said that within a year the Earth would collide with a roaming celestial body known as "Planet X", and in January he repeated his prediction. He has long predicted that this will happen someday, and even wrote a book about it. Allegedly, signs of destruction are already visible on Earth, for example, earthquakes have become more frequent. The rich have long been building bunkers to save themselves, but this most likely will not help them.

The version with the end of the world began to be actively discussed on the 2ch forum.

Knowing anons, what kind of star has been shining in the sky for a week now, breaking through the city glare? Us ***?

There is jubilation in the comments.

Many perceive the unusual celestial phenomenon with a mixture of apprehension and irony. Some are just ironic.

What is this huge star burning in the evening in the west? Not Sirius, not Venus, not the asteroid Vesta.
It's Elvis coming back and a new era is about to begin.

In fact, the bright star in the southwest is just our neighbor planet, Venus. Venus in January or March in clear weather is often mistaken for a UFO, then for a comet, then for the end of the world. For example, the year before last, such pictures were published by residents of Tver, who were lucky with the weather.

Medialeaks called the Pulkovo observatory to dispel the last doubts that the "Christmas Star" in honor of Trump and the "planet Nibiru" is Venus. Observatory spokesman Sergei Smirnov confirmed our worst fears: yes, this is the most common planet, the second from the Sun. It was just visible now. It is easy to understand that Venus is in front of you, and not a UFO or an "asteroid", if you look closely at what is around.

Mars is visible to the left and above this bright spot. It is further away and smaller in size, but is also visible to people with good eyesight or those who have chosen glasses well. This is a reliable sign that the bright celestial body is exactly Venus. Now the position of the planets is so favorable for observation, and Venus will shine with a bright lantern for the whole of February. I hope not only for our New Year, but also for the eastern one - according to the Chinese calendar.

Last October, Cassini photographs of Saturn's pole made a splash. It turned out that over the past four years, the North Pole of the planet Saturn. Scientists are not sure what caused it. But there are hypotheses, and they reassure.

Around the same time. Belief in the "planet Nibiru", which sooner or later will destroy us, has been indestructible for thousands of years.

Previously, especially for those who are not indifferent to gas and dust nebulae and the event horizon, in gifs and words.

If you are completely new to astronomy and are just about to start exploring the starry sky, then best time this is definitely winter. In no other season will you see so many bright stars in the evening sky! And the drawings that they form, for the most part, are easy to remember.

By the way, thanks to the many bright stars, the winter sky in the evenings can be studied even in big cities where street lighting is strong. Well, the best time to get acquainted is January, the middle of winter.

What constellations can be seen in the sky in January? Correct answer - depending on when. The January night is so long that during its course the constellations of all seasons float through the sky, even those that are usually considered summer! The evening sky in January is completely different from the morning sky, so it makes sense to make a description separately for the evening, night and morning sky.

Evening starry sky in January

So, mid-January, it got dark just a couple of hours ago. At this time, far to the west, where the dawn had recently blazed above the horizon, you can see three bright stars forming a large triangle in the sky. This is one of the most famous star patterns in the sky, known as.

January evening sky, looking west. Here at this time the Great Summer Triangle tends to the horizon. Picture: Stellarium

It is formed by the stars, and Altair, who simultaneously lead the constellations of Lyra, Cygnus and Eagle. The summer triangle, combining the stars of different constellations, is not a constellation, but an asterism. A lot of bright and memorable ones are scattered across the sky, some of which consist of stars of several constellations, and some are the most noticeable part of one constellation. (For example, the Big Dipper consists of the stars of only one constellation - Ursa Major. But this vast constellation is not limited to just a bucket!)

At the same time, in the south, the autumn constellations, Pisces and Whale, culminate (reach the greatest height above the horizon). Autumn star patterns are not bright, but still quite noticeable. The easiest to find among them Big Square Pegasus, another asterism formed by four stars of the 2nd star. quantities. Three of them belong to the constellation Pegasus. The fourth star, which forms the upper left corner of the square, is the constellation Andromeda.

Pegasus and Andromeda culminate in January in the south in the early evening. Here and below, the view of the sky is shown for the latitude of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Picture: Stellarium

The brightest stars of Andromeda form an upwardly curved chain of three stars, giving the square a distant resemblance to the Big Dipper bucket. In this constellation is the famous Andromeda Nebula - a large spiral galaxy and the most distant object in the Universe, visible to the naked eye.

The same constellations commonly referred to as winter constellations rise in the east on an early January evening. Among them are the constellations of Taurus, Auriga and Orion. The latter, of course, is the main constellation of the winter sky.

The winter constellations of Orion, Taurus, Auriga and Gemini rise in the east on January evenings. Picture: Stellarium

January starry sky at night

The winter constellations take their place in the south by midnight. Immediately seven stars brighter than the second magnitude are located in a relatively small area of ​​​​the sky! Almost at the zenith, yellow Chapel, under it - orange Aldebaran, to the left and below it - Betelgeuse and Rigel, the main stars of Orion. Even lower, low above the horizon, it floats, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. Finally, on the left, almost in the southeast, a yellowish Procyon(α Small Dog) and Pollux from the constellation Gemini.

A picture of the January starry sky at midnight. In the center of the winter constellations is Orion. Picture: Stellarium

The main character in the picture of the winter constellations is, of course, the legendary hunter Orion. Its seven brightest stars form a figure that is instantly memorable: three bright bluish-white stars, zeta, epsilon and delta form ; above it are the reddish Betelgeuse and the hot star Bellatrix (they mark the shoulders of the hunter), and below it are the bright white star Rigel and the star Saif; they point to his feet. Under the belt of Orion, on dark and transparent nights, the eye notices a small foggy spot (on ancient maps, a hunter's sword was drawn in this place). This is the famous Orion Nebula, a gigantic cloud of interstellar gas, a place where stars are being born right now.

Orion constellation and surroundings. The image artificially enhances the glow of emission nebulae and dark interstellar dust. A photo: Adrien Mauduit

In the sky, Orion is surrounded by several animals. To the right and above the hunter is the constellation Taurus. The bull is furious and appears to be charging at Orion; Aldebaran marks the red eye of Taurus. The impressive horns are formed by the stars β and ζ Taurus, but they are not afraid of the hunter: Orion swung a club at the bull. The torso of Taurus is marked by a small graceful Pleiades scoop.

Under the feet of Orion is a small constellation of the Hare, and to the left of it, low above the horizon, is the constellation Canis Major. The main star of this particular constellation is the brightest in the entire night sky of the Earth. We are talking, of course, about Sirius. Other faithful dog Oriona, Canis Minor, is marked by bright Procyon. Between Sirius and Procyon is the fabulous Unicorn, a vast but completely nondescript constellation.

The constellation Eridanus, symbolizing the celestial river, is located to the right of Orion - under the constellation Taurus. In mid-latitudes, this vast and southward-elongated constellation is only partially visible above the horizon. The last winter constellation, Auriga, is located almost at the zenith at night. In addition to Capella, it includes three more relatively bright stars, forming an irregular quadrangle. A compact triangle of 3rd magnitude stars just below Capella is also part of the Auriga. These three stars, together with Capella, form the ancient asterism Goat with Kids.

Milky Way in the constellation Taurus. A photo: Peter I. Papics

Note that the Milky Way passes through the constellations Auriga, Gemini, Taurus, Orion, Unicorn and Canis Major. However, here it is far from being as bright as in the constellations Cygnus or Sagittarius. The reason is that in winter we look in the direction opposite to the center of the Galaxy, on its outskirts, where the concentration of stars falls. In order to catch its faint glow, you have to find a dark sky.

Now let's look to the east. After a bright view of the southern part of the sky, the eastern sky looks frankly empty. The constellations of Lynx, Cancer and Lesser Leo can hardly be distinguished in the city sky. The only noticeable constellation, though only rising above the horizon, is zodiac constellation Lion, shaped like a huge trapezoid. In the northeast, the Ursa Major Bucket leans upward; It is located 30° above the horizon.

Sky in January at midnight. East direction. Picture: Stellarium

The northern part of the sky looks more interesting thanks to Vega and Deneb, two bright stars summer sky which were visible in the west in the evening. At the latitude of Moscow and St. Petersburg, these stars never go beyond the horizon, and therefore are observed during the entire dark time of the day - at night in the northwest and north, and in the morning in the northeast and east.

January sky at midnight. North direction. Picture: Stellarium

As always, due north is the North Star. Its height in the sky depends on the latitude of the place of observation. For example, in Moscow, the North Star is at an altitude of 56 ° above the horizon, and in St. Petersburg already at an altitude of 60 °. Actually, it is by the height of the North Star that it is easiest to determine the latitude of the area. Why? Because its position in the sky does not change significantly either during the day or even during the year.

Starry sky in January morning

The picture of the morning sky is not at all like the midnight sky. In 7 hours, the celestial sphere makes almost a third of a revolution, and the stars that shone at midnight in the south, before dawn, either already went beyond the horizon, or are visible far in the northwest. Among such constellations, visible "to the last", are the constellations of the Auriga and Gemini.

The western and southern parts of the sky were occupied by dim spring and even part of the summer constellations. A more or less distinct pattern can be traced only in the constellations Leo, Virgo and Bootes. As we have already said, the figure of Leo is based on a trapezoid of four stars. The main stars of Virgo form an irregular quadrilateral, with the brightest star of the constellation - Spica - located in its lower left corner. Finally, the constellation Bootes vaguely resembles a parachute. The skydiver is the orange Arcturus, the brightest star in the northern hemisphere of the sky.

Dawn sky in January. In 2018, the drawings of the constellations distort the planets - very bright Jupiter and, similar to a star of the 2nd magnitude, Mars. Picture: Stellarium

The eastern part of the sky is occupied by the already familiar Great Summer Triangle - three bright stars are quite high when the morning dawn begins to flare up under them.

What to see in the sky in January: stars, clusters and nebulae

And what else, besides drawings of constellations, should you pay attention to? Of course, on interesting stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

The starry sky of January is rich in interesting objects. Some of them can be seen even with the naked eye, but with binoculars, the list of attractions expands significantly. Below we briefly list only those that can be seen on January evenings with minimal optical equipment. To search for nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters, use a good star atlas or planetarium program (such as the free Stellarium program).

Objects for observation with the naked eye

• Algol- perhaps the most famous variable star. Located in the constellation Perseus, it belongs to the class of eclipsing variable stars. Gloss varies from 2.1m to 3.4m. A light object for observation with the naked eye.
• Aldebaran is the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. It is located next to Jupiter. In the early evening it rises in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 50 ° above the horizon. It has a distinct reddish hue.
• Altair- the brightest star in the constellation Eagle (brilliance 0.76 m). After sunset, it is visible in the west at an altitude of about 30 ° above the horizon. Part of the summer triangle.
• Betelgeuse- α Orionis, a red supergiant. One of the largest stars known to scientists, the diameter is 1000 times the diameter of the Sun. Incorrect variable - brightness varies within almost 1 m . Distance approximately 500 St. years.
• Great Nebula of Orion (M42)- a bright and beautiful nebula, visible even to the naked eye. The telescope will give an amazing view. Distance about 1500 St. years.

The famous Orion Nebula. The picture was taken by the Hubble telescope. A photo: NASA/ESA/M. Robberto (STScI/ESA) et al./APOD

• Vega- the brightest star of the constellation Lyra (brilliance 0.03 m). In the evening it is visible in the west at an altitude of about 40 ° above the horizon. Part of the Great Summer Triangle.
• Hyades is a large open cluster in the constellation Taurus. In the sky surrounds the star Aldebaran. The shape resembles the Latin letter V. The distance is about 150 light years from Earth.
• Deneb- the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus (magnitude 1.25 m). Visible in the evenings in the west at an altitude of more than 60 ° above the horizon, at night - in the north-west at an altitude of about 20 °. Part of the Great Summer Triangle
• Chapel- bright yellow star, α Aurigae. Gloss 0.08 m . In the evenings it is located in the east at an altitude of about 45 ° above the horizon, at night - almost at the zenith in the south, in the morning - in the western part of the sky at an altitude of about 50 ° above the horizon. Distance 42 St. of the year.
• Castor- α Gemini, the second brightest in the constellation after Pollux. Consists of 6(!) stars connected to each other by gravity. The telescope shows three stars. Distance 52 St. of the year.
• Pleiades is an open cluster in the constellation Taurus. Also known as the Seven Sisters, Stozhary, Volosozhary. It rises after sunset in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of more than 50 ° above the horizon, in the morning - low above the west. It looks like a small bucket to the naked eye, binoculars show dozens of stars. The distance to Earth is about 400 sv. years.
• Pollux- β Gemini and the brightest star in the constellation. Together with Castor, this star symbolizes the mythical twins born from the almighty Zeus and the beautiful Leda. orange star. Distance 34 St. of the year.
• polar Star- a star that marks the North Pole of the celestial sphere (magnitude 2.0 m). Visible at any time of the year and day from anywhere in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. The height above the horizon is determined by the latitude of the place of observation and practically does not change during the day. The perpendicular, lowered from the North Star to the horizon, points to the North Pole of the Earth.
• Orion's belt. Formed by three hot white stars - ζ, ε and δ Orionis.
• Rigel is a blue supergiant and the brightest star in the constellation Orion. Distance about 850 St. years. Luminosity - 120,000 luminosities of the Sun.
• Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Rise around 10 pm in the southeast. In the south it is visible at about 2 o'clock in the morning. Due to its low position above the horizon, it often shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.
• Sheat- or β Pegasus, an incorrect variable, the brightness varies from 2.1 m to 3.0 m. Red giant of spectral type M2.
• Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. In the evening it is visible in the east, at night - high in the sky in the south, in the morning - in the west. Very bright, flicker-free object yellow color. Through binoculars, 4 largest satellites are visible, and through a telescope with an aperture of 60 mm or more - cloud belts on the planet's disk.
• β Lira- an eclipsing variable star, the lower right star in the parallelogram of the constellation Lyra. Changes gloss from 3.3 m to 4.3 m with a period of 12.94 days. An optical companion is visible through binoculars - a bluish star 7.2 m.
• δ Cephei- the prototype of variable stars Cepheid. The brightness varies from 3.6 m to 4.5 m with a period of 5.366 days. Visible in the evening high in the sky in the west, at night - at an altitude of 40 ° above the northwestern horizon.
• ε Charioteer- one of the most amazing stars in the sky. Double; the moon is surrounded by a massive dust disk that outshines the bright component every 27 years.
• ζ Gemini- one of the most famous variable stars. Cepheid. Changes gloss within 3.8-4.4 m with a period of 10 days.
• ζ Charioteer- eclipsing variable star, period 2.66 years. Consists of an orange bright giant and a hot blue-white star. Distance about 800 St. years
• η Gemini or Pass. Located at the foot of Castor. Semiregular and eclipsing variable. Changes gloss within 3.1-3.6 m.
• η Cassiopeia- beautiful double star, visible at its zenith in the evenings. Consists of two stars similar to the Sun. Distance 19 St. years. The distance between the components is 12″.

Objects for observation with binoculars and a small telescope

• 51 Pegasus- star 5.5 m, visible near the right edge of Pegasus Square. 51 Pegasi - a yellow star similar to the Sun; the first normal star in which astronomers found a planet (in 1995). Distance - 50 St. years.
• 61 Swans- a beautiful double star at 8 ° from Deneb. Consists of two orange stars 5.2 m and 6.0 m. The first star for which the distance was reliably measured (11.4 light years - in 1838).
• h&χ Perseus is a double cluster in the constellation Perseus. It is visible to the naked eye as an elongated hazy speck halfway between the star Mirfak (α Perseus) and the constellation Cassiopeia. Visible throughout the night high above the horizon. An excellent object for binoculars and small telescopes.
• Collider 69 is the open cluster Lambda Orionis. Located in the hunter's head between the stars Betelgeuse and Bellatrix
• R Lyres is a semiregular variable. Changes in brightness from 4.0 m to 5.0 m with a period of 46 days. It is located near Vega, visible after sunset high in the sky in the west, at night it is in the northwest low above the horizon.
• Albireo- a beautiful double star, one of the components of which is orange, and the other is bluish-green. It is separated even in small binoculars. Albireo represents the head of the Swan or the base of the Northern Cross, at the opposite end of which is Deneb. Visible in the evening in the west at an altitude of about 40 ° above the horizon, it sets below the horizon around midnight.

Open cluster M35 in the constellation Gemini. Next to it is the more distant and fainter cluster NGC 2158. A photo: New Forest Observatory

• M27- the planetary nebula "Dumbbell" in the constellation Vulpecula (see photo above). One of the brightest planetary nebulae in the sky. It is clearly visible even with small binoculars above the constellation Arrows. In January, it is visible in the evenings in the west. Distance about 1000 sv. years.
• M2 is a globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius. It can be seen in the evenings in the south and southwest. Through binoculars, it appears as a hazy spot of a spherical shape with blurry edges.
• M13- one of the most beautiful globular clusters in the sky. It is located in the constellation Hercules between the stars η and ζ. It is perfectly distinguishable already in 30-mm binoculars, and in a telescope with an aperture of more than 80 mm, it breaks into stars along the edges. In January, the cluster rises in the second half of the night in the northeast and is observed until sunrise.
• M15- a bright globular cluster in the constellation Pegasus (magnitude 6.4 m). In the evening it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 45 ° above the horizon, at night twice as low in the west. The landmark is the star Epsilon Pegasus.
• M31- Andromeda's nebula. The famous spiral galaxy, the most distant object visible to the naked eye. The distance is about 2.5 million light years.
• M33 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. Requires good atmospheric conditions, binoculars with an aperture of more than 50 mm and the absence of urban illumination.
• M35- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Gemini. It is located at the foot of Castor, not far from the Star Pass (this Gemini). Distance 2800 St. years.
• M36 is an open cluster in the constellation Auriga. It is located near the clusters M37 and M38, almost halfway between the stars β Taurus and Capella. Distance - 4100 St. years.
• M37- a very beautiful open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Located in the middle of the Milky Way. Discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier. Distance - 4400 St. years.
• M38- Another open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Distance - 4300 St. years.
• M39- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. Located near Deneb. Contains about 30 stars. Under good conditions it is visible to the naked eye.
• M92 is another globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. Gloss 6.5 m . It is located almost 9 ° above M13, therefore it is possible to observe the cluster throughout the night very low above the horizon in the northern part of the sky.
• Melotte 20- open cluster α Perseus. A beautiful object to observe with binoculars. Surrounds the bright star Mirfak. Distance about 600 St. years.
• Mira Whale- a remarkable long-term variable, changes brightness in a huge range - from 2.0 m to 10.1 m with a period of 331 days. In the evenings it is visible in the southeast and in the south.
• nursery- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Cancer. It can be seen with the naked eye as a misty star, and with binoculars it shatters into dozens of stars. Rise after 9 pm in the east.
• ε Lyra- a wide pair of white stars next to Vega. The distance between the stars is 3′.5. People with exceptionally sharp eyesight separate the couple with the naked eye. Telescopes show that each of the two stars is also a binary.
• μ Cephei- Pomegranate star. Irregular variable, one of the reddest stars. Change in brightness from 3.4 m to 5.1 m with overlapping cycles of 90, 730 and 4500 days.