The new lunar phenomenon appeared on January 13th. And, although the great combination of Jupiter and Saturn is over, they are still close to each other in the sky. Then, Jupiter and Saturn will form a group near Mercury shortly after sunset.
The planet is visible
New moons occur when the Sun and the Moon have the same ecliptic longitude, a condition also known as union. Last December, the people of South America had the opportunity to admire the new moon coinciding with a total eclipse. However, this phenomenon did not happen this time. Because the Moon will “miss” the Sun by the way.
The reason we don’t see monthly eclipses is because the Moon’s orbit is tilted about 5 degrees from the plane of Earth’s orbit. So this time all we see is just a dark sky. People cannot see the Moon from Earth because the illuminated side is on the other side.
On the night of the New Moon, January 12, the sun sets at 4:50 p.m. New York time. As the sun sets, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury are all seen as the sky darkens, forming a rugged line in the southwest from left to right. Mercury is furthest to the left, then Jupiter, then Saturn.
The three planets will stretch approximately three degrees in azimuth (horizontal direction). This means that the distance between Mercury and Saturn would be about six diameters of the Moon.
To see the trio, the main thing is good weather and a flat horizon. These three planets are bright enough to be seen before Saturn sets at 5:33 pm New York afternoon. Jupiter plunges 13 minutes later and Mercury “disappears” at 5:51 pm.
Mercury is often a difficult planet to observe because it is close to the Sun. And, it’s often difficult to spot Mercury in the first few minutes after sunset. But this time, the new moon is easier to detect because it passed 2 degrees south of Mercury on January 14.
This combination will not be visible from New York as it occurs at 3:14 a.m. However, after sunset, the thin crescent moon will remain just east of Mercury and form an easy signpost to the planet.
Meanwhile, Venus continues her tenure as the Morning Star, growing at 6:13 a.m. in the East. The sun appeared at 7:18 a.m. on January 13. Venus is getting closer to the Sun every day. And, at the end of the month, Venus won’t appear until about half an hour before sunrise.
Phases of the moon.
The stars and constellations
The winter constellations become more vibrant than ever for northern hemisphere observers in January. By 5:00 p.m. Orion’s branch was completely above the eastern horizon.
And, one can observe that its stars appear when the sky darkens. Orion’s branch faces Taurus to the west and north. Meanwhile, looking to the right and up, everyone could see the Hyades cluster. Looking to the left, the constellation Orion will easily see the constellation Gemini.
The stars were resolved by spectroscopy. Although they cannot be seen with the naked eye, astronomers can separate the light from these stars into component colors.
Each star has a characteristic spectrum, with a color that indicates which elements are present. In the 19th century, astronomers noticed that the spectrum appeared to represent more than one star. And at the beginning of the 20th century, it was confirmed that in fact four stars had been shown.
The phenomenon of the new moon will be the “start” of a series of astronomical events expected this year. Scientists predict that two of the brightest planets in the sky – Venus and Jupiter, will appear side by side at dawn on February 11.
This phenomenon, called coagulation, describes a state where two planets are very close to each other in the sky when viewed from Earth. On this occasion, on the far right of the pair of planets, viewers can also see Saturn located not far away.
For the most favorable viewing period, observers should begin 20 to 30 minutes before sunrise. Spectators in the Southern Hemisphere will have the perfect opportunity to admire, as two planets from this area’s perspective will be further from the Sun and higher in the sky.
During this time, on March 9 and 10, it will be the convergence of the four heavenly bodies. This is an exciting occasion where a world astronomer can see 4 celestial bodies appear very close together in the sky. Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn will be roughly aligned, next to the three not far, the crescent Moon.
Each planet will be a very visible point of light, the brightest of which is Jupiter. Using binoculars, astronomers can see Jupiter’s 4 largest moons. If you use a telescope, viewers will see the Saturn belt.
Mercury alone, due to the relative positions of the Earth and the Sun with this planet, will only be partially bright, resembling a miniature crescent moon.
