What’s in the Sky in January

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January

  • Quadrantid meteor shower (QUA) Active from December 26th to January 16th. The Quadrantids have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year but usually fall short due to the short length of maximum activity (6 hours) and the poor weather experienced during early January. The average hourly rates one can expect under dark skies is 25. These meteors usually lack persistent trains but often produce bright fireballs. Due to the high northerly declination (celestial latitude) these meteors are not well seen from the southern hemisphere.
  • Shower details – Radiant: 15:20 +49.7° – ZHR: 120 – Velocity: 25 miles/sec (medium – 40.2km/sec) – Parent Object: 2003 EH (Asteroid)Next Peak – The Quadrantids peak on the Jan 3-4, 2023 night. On this night, the moon will be 92% full. Credit: IMO.
  • At this time of the year the Great Orion Nebula is rising in the East.  Just East of Orion is the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, Alpha Canis major.
  • 7th Latest sunset of the Year 21:49:26hrs AEDT at the Observatory.
  • 8th Lunar Apogee 20:19hr AEDT, Dist. 406,459km
  • 12th Mercury rises 05:43hrs AEDT, dist. 103/1 million km, mag. 2.4.
  • 12th Saturn Setting at 22:33hrs AEDT, dist. 1,593.6 million km, mag. 0.8.
  • 12th Jupiter 4 degrees Nth of the Moon, distance 775.1 million km, mag. -2.3.
  • 22nd Lunar Perigee, closest approach for the month 07:53hr AEDT, Dist. 3556,570km.