Astronomy News for the Month of January 2012


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In this Newsletter...

Background screen credits:NGC5775 -Imaged March 21/22, 2001 using the 16" Kitt Peak Visitors Center telescope as part of the Advanced Observing Program.


The Month At-A-Glance
A calendar displaying the daily astronomical events.


07

The Moon

Phases

Apogee/Perigee

Moon/Planet Pairs

For reference: The Full Moon subtends an angle of 0.5°.

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The Planets & Dwarf Planets

Planetary Reports generated by "TheSky" software. These reports provide predicted data for the planets for the first of each month for the current year. The rise and set times for the Sun and the Moon for each day of the month are also included in the reports.

(All times are local unless otherwise noted.)

Planetary Highlights for January - For the first month of the new year, seven planets grace the evening and morning skies. Venus and Jupiter are visible in the early evening before sunset. Uranus and Neptune are also visible in the evening, though observers will need binoculars or a small telescope to see these two. Mars appears in the late evening growing brighter as it approaches opposition in March. Saturn is visible in the early morning skies. Mercury makes a brief appearance before sunrise during the first week of January. The Quadrantids meteor shower should put on a respectable show as well.
Mercury - Rises at 5:53 a.m. on the 1st and about 7:07 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mercury low on the eastern horizon about 30 minutes before sunrise during the first week of the month. Mercury moves from the constellation of Ophiuchus into Capricornus shining at magnitude -0.4.
Venus - Sets at 7:29 p.m. on the 1st and about 8:39 p.m. by month's end. Venus is easy to spot in the early evening sky to the south-west all month. Venus moves from the constellation of Capricornus into Aquarius shining at magnitude -4.0.
Earth - Is at perihelion (91.4 million miles from the Sun) on the 4th.
Mars - Is stationary on the 24th. Mars rises at 10:19 p.m. on the 1st and about 8:27 p.m. by month's end. Mars is visible in the late evening and early morning hours. Mars moves from the constellation of Leo into Virgo shining at magnitude -0.1.
Jupiter - Sets at 1:52 a.m. on the 1st and about 12:02 a.m. by month's end. Jupiter remains quite prominent in the evening sky appearing about 60° above the southern horizon. Jupiter moves from the constellation of Pisces into Aries shining at magnitude -2.5.
Saturn - Rises at 1:33 a.m. on the 1st and about 11:33 p.m. by month's end. Saturn is visible in the morning sky before sunrise. Saturn is in the constellation of Virgo shining at magnitude 0.7.
Uranus - Sets at 11:21 p.m. on the 1st and about 9:24 p.m. by month's end. Look to the southwest soon after sunset to spot Uranus. Binoculars or a small telescope may be needed. Uranus is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 5.9.
Neptune - Sets at 8:41 p.m. on the 1st and about 6:44 p.m. by month's end. Venus is a good pointer for spotting Neptune this month. Neptune is in the constellation of Aquarius shining at magnitude 7.9.

Dwarf Planets

Ceres - Sets at 10:38 p.m. on the 1st and about 9:25 p.m. by month's end. Ceres moves from the constellation of Aquarius into Cetus shining at magnitude 8.9.
Pluto - Was in conjunction with the Sun on December 29th. Pluto will return to the morning sky during the last two weeks of the month. Pluto rises about 4:55 a.m. by month's end. Pluto is still difficult to view. Pluto is in the constellation of Sagittarius shining at magnitude 14.1.

As always, good luck at spotting these two, a large telescope and dark skies will be needed.

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Astronomical Events

Meteor Showers

  • The Quadrantids - This shower is generally visible between December 28 and January 7, with a very sharp maximum of 45 to 200 meteors per hour occurring during January 3 and 4. The meteors tend to be bluish and possess an average magnitude of about 2.8.

    This year, the Quadrantids may prove to be quite active. See http://astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News/2011/12/2012%20Quadrantids.aspx.

    For more information about Meteor Showers, visit Gary Kronk's Meteor Showers Online web page.

  • Comets

  • Comet P/2006 T1 Levy may brighten to 7th or 8th magnitude this month. Comet P/2006 T1 begins the month in Pegasus and travels through Pisces and Cetus and ends up in Eridanus. On the evenings of Dec. 29 through Jan. 2, observers may see a rare occurrence of an anti-tail, where the comet's tail appears to point towards the Sun as opposed to away from the Sun.

  • Comet C/2009 P1 Garradd glows around 6th magnitude this month. Comet Garradd should be visible through backyard telescopes or binoculars under dark skies. Comet Garradd lies amidst the background stars in the constellation of Hercules. Comet Garradd rises before sunrise just slightly above and to the right of Vega.

  • For information, orbital elements and ephemerides on observable comets, visit the Observable Comets page from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

    For more information about Comets, visit Gary Kronk's Cometography.com webpage.

  • Eclipses

  • No eclipse activity this month..
  • Observational Opportunities

  • Venus and Jupiter are prominent in the early evening skies.
  • Comet P/2006 (Levy) displays an anti-tail on the evenings of the 1st and 2nd under dark skies.
  • The Quandrantids should put on a great shows of up to 120 meteors per hour during the peak, on the evening of the 3rd, morning of the 4th.
  • Asteroids

    (From west to east)
    • Vesta is in the constellation of Aquarius.
    • Eunomia is in the constellation of Perseus.
    • Eros is in the constellation of Leo.
    • Hebe is in the constellation of Leo.

    • Information about the Minor Planets can be found at the Minor Planet Observer website.
    Ocultations

    IOTA Logo

  • Information on various occultations can be found by clicking the IOTA logo.
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    Planetary/Lunar Exploration Missions

    (Excerpts from recent JPL mission updates)
    Cassini - January 02, 2012
    Titan Flyby (T-80): A Southern Swing High Over Titan

    "On this high-altitude encounter of Titan, the imaging science subsystem (ISS) will perform high-resolution observations around closest-approach along the anti-Saturnian and trailing hemispheres at mid- to high southern latitudes.

    This is one of ISS' so-called "10-pointer" flybys, i.e. one of the two scientifically most significant Titan fly-bys for ISS during the Solstice mission. As the lead instrument on the inbound approach to Titan, the composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) instrument views Titan at various distances and spectral resolutions to make maps of atmospheric and surface temperature. After closest approach, RADAR will do radiometry of the sub-Saturn hemisphere. Outbound, the visible and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIMS) will perform stellar occultations of the stars CW Leo and R Leo, which will constrain the composition and the spectral properties of Titan's atmosphere. During the flyby, the radio and plasma wave science (RPWS) will measure thermal plasmas in Titan's ionosphere and surrounding environment, search for lightning in Titan's atmosphere, and investigate the interaction of Titan with Saturn's magnetosphere."

    Cassini Imaging Team

    For the latest mission status reports, visit Cassini Mission Status web page. The speed and location of the spacecraft along its flight path can be viewed on the "Where is Cassini Now?" webpage.

    New Horizons - December 20, 2011
    SwRI researchers discover new evidence for complex molecules on Pluto's surface

    "Boulder, Colo. - Dec. 20, 2011 - The new and highly sensitive Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a strong ultraviolet-wavelength absorber on Pluto's surface, providing new evidence that points to the possibility of complex hydrocarbon and/or nitrile molecules lying on the surface, according to a paper recently published in the Astronomical Journal by researchers from Southwest Research Institute and Nebraska Wesleyan University.

    Such chemical species can be produced by the interaction of sunlight or cosmic rays with Pluto's known surface ices, including methane, carbon monoxide and nitrogen."

    LORRI Looks Back

    New Horizons gallery

    Find New Horizons in the iTunes App Store here.

    For more information on the New Horizons mission - the first mission to the ninth planet - visit the New Horizons home page.

    Dawn - December 21, 2011
    Dawn Obtains First Low Altitude Images of Vesta

    "PASADENA, Calif. - NASA's Dawn spacecraft has sent back the first images of the giant asteroid Vesta from its low-altitude mapping orbit. The images, obtained by the framing camera, show the stippled and lumpy surface in detail never seen before, piquing the curiosity of scientists who are studying Vesta for clues about the solar system's early history. At this detailed resolution, the surface shows abundant small craters, and textures such as small grooves and lineaments that are reminiscent of the structures seen in low-resolution data from the higher-altitude orbits. Also, this fine scale highlights small outcrops of bright and dark material. A gallery of images can be found online at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/multimedia/gallery-index.html."

    For more information on the Dawn mission, visit the Dawn home page.

    MESSENGER - December 22, 2011
    A Christmas Crater on Mercury

    "The crater at the center of Wednesday's MESSENGER image of the day is named Dickens, after Charles Dickens, the English novelist who lived from 1812 to 1870. Among Dickens' most famous works is A Christmas Carol, the story of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his tortured journey to a more humanitarian and generous nature.

    This image was acquired as part of the Mercury Dual Imaging System's (MDIS) high-resolution surface morphology base map. The surface morphology base map will cover more than 90% of Mercury's surface with an average resolution of 250 meters per pixel (0.16 miles per pixel). Images acquired for the surface morphology base map typically have off-vertical Sun angles (i.e., high incidence angles) and visible shadows so as to reveal clearly the topographic form of geologic features.

    Since entering orbit around Mercury on March 18, 2011, the MDIS has beamed back more than 70,000 images of the surface of the planet. The mission's imaging team has been releasing at least one new image every weekday. They are available online at http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/. During the one-year primary mission, MDIS is scheduled to acquire more than 75,000 images in support of MESSENGER's science goals."

    For more information on the MESSENGER mission, visit the MESSENGER home page.

    Pack Your Backpack

    Calling all explorers! Tour JPL with our new Virtual Field Trip site. Stops include Mission Control and the Rover Lab. Your guided tour starts when you select a "face" that will be yours throughout the visit. Cool space images and souvenirs are all included in your visit.

    Past, Present, Future and Proposed JPL Missions - http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions

    Visit JPL's mission pages for current status.

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         Mars Missions

    JMARS

    JMARS is an acronym that stands for Java Mission-planning and Analysis for Remote Sensing. It is a geospatial information system (GIS) developed by ASU's Mars Space Flight Facility to provide mission planning and data-analysis tools to NASA's orbiters, instrument team members, students of all ages, and the general public.

    Mars Science Laboratory - December 13, 2011
    NASA Mars-Bound Rover Begins Research In Space

    "PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's car-sized Curiosity rover has begun monitoring space radiation during its 8-month trip from Earth to Mars. The research will aid in planning for future human missions to the Red Planet.

    Curiosity launched on Nov. 26 from Cape Canaveral, Fla., aboard the Mars Science Laboratory. The rover carries an instrument called the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) that monitors high-energy atomic and subatomic particles from the sun, distant supernovas and other sources.

    These particles constitute radiation that could be harmful to any microbes or astronauts in space or on Mars. The rover also will monitor radiation on the surface of Mars after its August 2012 landing.

    "RAD is serving as a proxy for an astronaut inside a spacecraft on the way to Mars," said Don Hassler, RAD's principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo. "The instrument is deep inside the spacecraft, the way an astronaut would be. Understanding the effects of the spacecraft on the radiation field will be valuable in designing craft for astronauts to travel to Mars."

    Previous monitoring of energetic-particle radiation in space has used instruments at or near the surface of various spacecraft. The RAD instrument is on the rover inside the spacecraft and shielded by other components of Mars Science Laboratory, including the aeroshell that will protect the rover during descent through the upper atmosphere of Mars."

    Visit the Mars Science Laboratory page.

    Mars Exploration Rover Mission (Spirit and Opportunity) - December 27, 2011

    SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Remains Silent at Troy - sols 2621-2627, May 18-24, 2011:

    "No communication has been received from Spirit since Sol 2210 (March 22, 2010).

    More than 1,300 commands were radiated to Spirit as part of the recovery effort in an attempt to elicit a response from the rover. No communication has been received from Spirit since Sol 2210 (March 22, 2010). The project concluded the Spirit recovery efforts on May 25, 2011. The remaining, pre-sequenced ultra-high frequency (UHF) relay passes scheduled for Spirit on board the Odyssey orbiter will complete on June 8, 2011.

    Total odometry is unchanged at 7,730.50 meters (4.80 miles)."

    OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Positioned at Candidate Site for Winter - sols 2813-2817, December 23-27, 2011:

    "Opportunity is positioned at a candidate site for Mars' southern hemisphere winter. The rover is at the north end of 'Cape York' on the rim of Endeavour Crater, tilted about 15 degrees to the north for favorable solar energy production.

    Opportunity experienced anomalously high current in the right-front wheel on Sol 2808 (Dec. 17, 2011). Diagnostics on Sols 2810 and 2812 (Dec. 20 and 22, 2011) indicated a nominal wheel and drive actuator with the terrain being the indicated explanation for the high current. On Sol 2816 (Dec. 26, 2011), the rover performed an 8-inch (0.2-meter) diagnostic backward drive. The drive completed successfully with Opportunity maintaining its 15-degree northerly tilt, sufficient for the winter period.

    The plan ahead is to conduct some contact measurements with the instruments on the robotic arm to see if this location offers substantive in-situ science opportunities during the winter months. Opportunity will also begin a radio Doppler tracking campaign at the start of the new year.

    As of Sol 2817 (Dec. 27, 2011), solar array energy production was 290 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.685 and a solar array dust factor of 0.475.

    Total odometry as of Sol 2816 (Dec. 26, 2011) is 21.35 miles (34,361.37 meters)."

    Landing sites

    Visit the Mars Exploration Rover page.

    Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission - November 17, 2011
    New Tool for Touring Mars Using Detailed Images

    "An improved tool debuts today for viewing channels, dunes, boulders and other features revealed in the huge image files from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The new tool, HiView, offers the best way to take a personal, virtual hike through any of thousands of square miles of Mars observed by HiRISE, seeing details as small as a desk. To watch the tutorial video and download the free HiView application, go to: http://www.uahirise.org/hiview/."

    MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER HIRISE IMAGES
    All of the HiRISE images are archived here.

    More information about the MRO mission is available online.

    Mars Odyssey Orbiter

    Global Martian Map

    "A simulated fly-through using the newly assembled imagery is available online.

    The fly-through plus tools for wandering across and zooming into the large image are at THEMIS."

    Daily Mars Odyssey THEMIS Images
    Can be found at the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) website.

    The Odyssey data are available through a new online access system established by the Planetary Data System.

    Visit the Mars Odyssey Mission page.

    Mars Missions Status

    New Mars missions are being planned to include several new rover and sample collection missions. Check out the Mars Missions web page and the Mars Exploration page.

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    Links and Other Space News

    (If you have a link you would like to recommend to our readers, please feel free to submit it.)

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    Astronomical Lexicon

    Definitions of astronomical terms. Many of the astronomical terms used in this newsletter are defined here.

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    Read the Universe Today Newsletter by clicking on the logo.

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    Acknowledgments and References

    Much of the information in this newsletter is from Astronomy® Magazine (Kalmbach Publishing), JPL mission status reports, the Internet, "Meteor Showers - A descriptive Catalog" by Gary W. Kronk, Sky & Telescope web pages, and other astronomical sources that I have stashed on my bookshelves.

    The author will accept any suggestions, constructive criticisms, and corrections. Please feel free to send me any new links or articles to share as well. I will try to accommodate any reasonable requests. Please feel free to send questions, comments, criticisms, or donations to the email address listed below. Enjoy!

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    Keep looking UP!
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