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Abrams Planetarium SKYWATCHER'S DIARY: January 1998
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The Skywatcher's Diary for January 1998 has been prepared by  Robert
C. Victor. Credit to Abrams Planetarium, Department of Physics and
Astronomy at Michigan State University, together with mention of our
Sky Calendar, would be appreciated.

A sample recent issue of Sky Calendar is available over the Internet. It
can be viewed via a World-Wide Web browser such as Netscape or
Internet Explorer, directly at URL:
http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/apr97skycal.html

If you would like a printed sample of the January issue, send a long,
self-addressed stamped envelope to:

January Sky Calendar
Abrams Planetarium
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824

Each month, the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan
State University also makes Skywatcher's Diary available over the
Internet. It can be accessed via a World-Wide Web browser such as
Netscape or Internet Explorer, directly at URL:
http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/diary.html

The Skywatcher's Diary is also available via anonymous ftp at:
www.pa.msu.edu in the directory /pub/swd

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Venus is still evening "star" in early January, very low in WSW soon
after sunset, and sets earlier daily as it rapidly approaches inferior
conjunction (between Earth and Sun) on Jan. 16. From lat. 40 degrees
N, Venus sets after Sun by about 1-3/4 hours on Jan. 2, one hour on
Jan. 9, 40 minutes on Jan. 12, and 20 minutes on Jan. 15. On Jan. 16,
Venus passes within 6 degrees N of Sun and is very difficult to
observe. Other evening planets: Jupiter on Jan. 1 is in SW, 20 degrees
upper left of Venus at dusk. Venus is gone by midmonth, but Jupiter
remains, sinking low in WSW by month's end. Mars on Jan. 1 is 11
degrees lower right of Jupiter and 9 degrees upper left of Venus. Mars-
Jupiter narrow to 5 degrees apart on Jan. 11, to only 0.2 degree on Jan.
20, then widen to 6 degrees apart by Jan. 31. Saturn is in SSE to SW at
dusk, 51 to 46 degrees to Jupiter's upper left.

Mercury at dawn is very low in SE to ESE. Early in month, it's easy to
see, to Antares' lower left, by 11 degrees on Jan. 1, 15 degrees on Jan.
6, 20 degrees on Jan. 11, 26 degrees on Jan. 16. Sinking into bright
twilight, Mercury is 12 degrees right of emerging Venus on Jan. 22,
and 8 degrees lower right Jan. 26.   After mid-January, Venus is an
increasingly prominent morning "star", rising in ESE before Sun, by
about 30 minutes on Jan. 17, one hour on Jan. 22, and 1-3/4 hours on
Jan. 31. Venus gleams at mag. -4.5 at beginning and end of January,
and is nearly half a magnitude fainter at midmonth.

Venus now displays an unusually large crescent, 1.0 arc-minute across
Jan. 1-29, and easy to resolve with binoculars until late February. The
best viewing time, to avoid contrast of the brilliant planet against a
darker sky, is around sunset until mid-January, and around sunrise
thereafter. Venus is 7% illuminated on January 1, 4% on Jan. 5, 1% on
Jan. 11, 0.5% Jan. 14-16, 1% on Jan. 19, 3% on Jan. 24, 5% on Jan.
27, and 8% on Jan. 31.

The Moon at dusk appears near planets Jan. 1, 2, 4, 5, 29, 30. On Jan.
27, half an hour before sunrise (see Jan. 26 below), a very thin old
Moon rises in ESE within 9 degrees of Venus. Best chance: In S
Florida, where it's 18.5 hours before New. Binoculars needed.

New Moon is Jan. 28 at 1:01 a.m. EST, marking Chinese New Year.
Also on Jan. 28, within 1/2 hour after sunset (see calendar), very thin
young Moon is setting in WSW, 11! from Jupiter. Moon's age is under
17 hours seen from Northeast U.S., 17.5 hours in S. Florida, and an
easier 20 hours on West Coast. Use binoculars.

First naked-eye view of young crescent Moon at dusk on Jan. 28
(Hawaii  and far western U.S.) or Jan. 29 (rest of U.S.) marks the end
of the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan, and start of the next,
Shawwal. For more: See Skywatcher's Diary below.

*********SKYWATCHER'S DIARY JANUARY 1998*********

Thursday, January 1
On New Year's Day at dusk, enjoy the 3-day-old crescent Moon
passing just two degrees north (upper right) of bright Jupiter. Brilliant
Venus is 20 degrees to their lower right. Look every half hour until
Jupiter sets, and you'll notice the Moon's motion against the
background, resulting from our satellite's orbital revolution around the
Earth.

Friday, January 2
In SW sky an hour after sunset, note the pleasing alignment of the
crescent Moon with Jupiter and Venus to its lower right. Look for Mars
midway between the two bright planets, 10 degrees from each.

Saturday, January 3
In deep twilight an hour after sunset, face east to see Orion rising,
recalling opening lines of Robert Frost's poem, The Star Splitter: "You
know Orion always comes up sideways. Throwing a leg up over our
fence of mountains, ..."

Sunday, January 4
An hour after sunset, look high in S to see a fat crescent Moon with
Saturn 8 degrees to its upper left. A telescope shows spectacular lunar
surface features and Saturn's rings tipped 9 degrees from edge-on.

Monday, January 5
At sunset today, Venus appears 17 degrees to Sun's upper left. The
crescent Venus is now one arc-minute across, 4 percent illuminated. It's
easy to discern the crescent with a small telescope or even binoculars, if
you look while the sky is still bright. An hour after sunset, locate Jupiter
22 degrees to Venus' upper left, and Saturn 6 degrees to Moon's right.

On Tuesday an hour before sunup, look very low SE to ESE for bright
Mercury 14 degrees lower left of Antares. Mercury  now appears
farthest from Sun for this apparition, 23 degrees.

Tuesday, January 6
Moon is two-thirds full this evening. As it passes due south, about 2-
1/2 hours after sunset in northern U.S., note Saturn 21 degrees to its
west and Aldebaran 35 degrees to its east. The long period variable star
Mira, near peak brilliance in its 11-month cycle, is 12 degrees below the
Moon. At peak in Feb. 1997, Mira matched 2.5-mag. Alpha Ceti, 13
degrees to Mira's upper left and nearly as far to Moon's lower left. Is
Mira as bright again this year, or it is a closer match to 4.1-mag. Delta
Ceti, 6 degrees to Mira's upper left? Or to 3.6-mag. Gamma Ceti, 5
degrees to Alpha's lower right and 3 degrees to Delta's lower right?

Wednesday, January 7
Venus is 14 degrees upper left of the setting Sun, or almost directly
above it from Hawaii and southernmost Florida. Use binoculars to
detect the crescent Venus, 1 arcminute across and less than 3 percent
illuminated. Nearly an hour after sunset, look for Jupiter 23 degrees to
Venus' upper left, and faint Mars nearly a third of the way from Jupiter
toward Venus.

Thursday, January 8
As sky darkens, look for the first-magnitude star Aldebaran, eye of
Taurus, about 7 degrees to Moon's lower left, and the Pleiades star
cluster 10 degrees to Moon's upper left. Use binoculars for a good view
of the Hyades cluster, whose stars complete a letter "V" with Aldebaran
and form the head of the Bull. As hours pass, watch the Moon approach
and pass among these stars.

Friday, January 9
There are two reddish stars near the Moon tonight. Their locations an
hour after sunset are: Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, 6 degrees to Moon's
upper right, and Betelgeuse, shoulder of Orion, 16 degrees below.

Celestial Preview 1998 opens this weekend at Abrams Planetarium,
with shows presented tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 4
p.m. This live, informal show uses our Digistar projector to preview the
best of the year's sky events: Winter evening planet gatherings, spring
and summer rewards for early risers, autumn return of Jupiter and
Saturn to evening sky, and a possible predawn meteor storm. Celestial
Preview '98 will continue through Feb. 1; for more information, please
call (517) 355-4672.

Saturday, January 10
Can you still see Venus? Just after the Sun's disk has disappeared over
the horizon, look 9 degrees higher for Venus. Binoculars show it as a
slender crescent with upturned horns, one arcminute across. By an hour
after sunset, Venus is gone, but in the east you can find Betelgeuse 11
degrees to Moon's lower right.

Next Friday night, faint Comet Tempel-Tuttle will pass closest to Earth.
This comet is the source of November's Leonid meteor shower, which
perhaps this year or next, could appear as a spectacular meteor storm.
This evening the comet is located at Right Ascension 12 hours 14
minutes, Declination +57.3 degrees, very near the 3rd-magnitude star
which joins the handle of the Big Dipper to the bowl. This telescopic
comet is expected to be of mag. 9 now, some 10,000 times fainter than
Comet Hale-Bopp was at its best last year. In bright moonlight, the
comet will be hard to observe; wait until after midnight, when the Big
Dipper is high in the sky, or until Friday, when Moon will be absent
from the early evening sky, and the comet will pass within 7 degrees of
the North Star.

For more on Comet Tempel-Tuttle, see Dairy entries for Jan. 16 and 20,
and the following sites on the Internet:

History of Comet Tempel-Tuttle:
http://medicine.wustl.edu/~kronkg/055p.html

Orbital elements and 5-day ephemeris (listing of positions):
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/0055P.html

Daily ephemeris:
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/0055P_1.html

Sunday, January 11
WSKY ... Radio Station of the Stars, presented at 2:30 p.m. today at
Abrams Planetarium.

At sunset, just as the solar disk completely disappears, Venus stands 8
degrees almost directly above the same point on the horizon, while the
nearly Full Moon is even lower, in almost the opposite direction.
Binoculars show Venus as a crescent. Can you see Venus with naked
eye? Soon after sunset, look for Jupiter 26 degrees to Venus' upper left.
As sky darkens, Mars appears 5 degrees to Jupiter's lower right. Watch
Mars and Jupiter nightly; they'll be only about 0.2 degree apart on Jan.
20.

Monday, January 12
Tonight at sunset, at the moment the Sun's disk has completely
disappeared below the horizon, Venus is 7 degrees above it from
northern U.S., or to its upper left right from southern U.S. On Friday,
Venus will pass inferior conjunction, nearly between Earth and Sun.
Since the orbits of Venus and Earth are not exactly in the same plane,
Venus seldom appears to transit the Sun's disk. Instead, this time,
Venus will pass nearly 6 degrees N of the Sun. That's why, for the rest
of this week, Venus will appear to upper right of setting Sun and to
upper left of rising Sun. Warning: When you're using binoculars or a
telescope to search for Venus, take care that you do not accidentally look
at the Sun.

The Full "Moon after Yule" rises 15 minutes (seen from southern
Florida) to 30 minutes (northern Washington state) after sunset tonight.
At nightfall, look for the Gemini twins, Pollux and Castor, to Moon's
upper left, and Procyon degrees to Moon's lower right. The name
Procyon, meaning "before the dog," was given to this star because it
rises before Sirius, the "Dog Star," for observers in mid-northern
latitudes. Watch for the rising of Sirius near the place where Orion's
belt, if extended downward, would meet the horizon.

Tuesday, January 13
Around nightfall look for Orion in ESE with its two brightest stars,
blue-white Rigel marking his foot, and reddish Betelgeuse marking his
shoulder. Procyon in Canis Major is very low in E, 26 degrees lower
left of Betelgeuse. Look 18 degrees to Procyon's lower left for the
Moon rising in ENE, and look 26 degrees to Procyon's lower right for
Sirius rising in ESE. Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse form the Winter
Triangle. As soon as you see Sirius, turn around and look for the
Summer Triangle -- Altair, Deneb, and Vega -- in W to WNW. Can
you see both triangles simultaneously?

Wednesday, January 14
Tonight through Jan. 28, if you're in a very dark place at nightfall -- as
soon as the sky fully darkens, about 1-1/2 hours after sunset, look for
the zodiacal light -- a large, softly luminous cone of light in the western
sky. It is caused by the reflection of sunlight off dust particles in the
inner solar system. The cone of light is broadest at the base and follows
the line of the planets, appearing to cover Jupiter low in WSW and
reaching upward  toward Saturn in SSW. From mid-northern latitudes
the cone is tipped left of vertical.

Four hours after sunset on Wednesday, the waning gibbous Moon is in
E with Regulus, heart of Leo, 7 degrees to its lower left. By an hour
before sunrise on Thursday they're within 4 degrees apart in WSW to
W. They'll be back in the eastern sky again four hours after sunset on
Thursday, with the Moon 6 degrees below Regulus.

Thursday, January 15
Today Venus passes within 25 million miles of Earth. But it's very
difficult to see, nearly between Earth and Sun. Venus is switching from
evening to morning sky, doing so each time it overtakes Earth, at
intervals of just over 19 months, as follows: January 16, 1998, August
20, 1999, March 29, 2001, October 31, 2002, June 8, 2004, January 13,
2006.

Find bright Jupiter in SW at dusk with faint Mars this evening just 3
degrees to its lower right. Look nightly! In mid January each year the
Summer Triangle is equally visible at dusk and dawn. Look for its three
stars in W to NW an hour after sunset, and in E to NE an hour before
sunrise. Its southernmost star, Altair, is nearly due W at dusk and due E
at dawn. Brighter Vega and fainter Deneb are farther to the north.

Friday, January 16
Celestial Preview 1998 at Abrams Planetarium: Showings this Friday
and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m.

An hour after sunset, bright Jupiter is low in SW to WSW, with faint
Mars 2.4 degrees to its lower right. Each evening they appear about one
Moon's width closer! Saturn is high in SSW, 49 degrees upper left of
Jupiter.

Comet Tempel-Tuttle, bringer of the historic Leonid meteor storms of
1833, 1966, and other years, passes 33 million miles from Earth
tonight. But the comet is not likely to be brighter than 8th magnitude as
it slowly drifts within 7 degrees of the North Star. Amateur
astronomers can plot the comet's position for tonight at 7 p.m. EST on a
star atlas at Right Ascension 7 hours 06 minutes, declination +83.0
degrees. The comet is moving 6 degrees per day, and by Tuesday
evening it will be closely approaching Epsilon in Cassiopeia, the fainter
end star of the "W". The next few nights will be your best chance to see
this comet which visits the inner solar system only once every 33 years.

Saturday, January 17
An hour after sunset low in SW to WSW, bright Jupiter is
accompanied by faint Mars 1.8 degrees to its lower right. Only three
days to go until the closest planet pairing of this year!

On Sunday at sunup, from northern U.S., Venus is 7 degrees directly
above Sun. Venus rises farther ahead of the Sun daily and gets easier to
see. On what date will you first see it?

Sunday, January 18
WSKY ... Radio Station of the Stars, presented at 2:30 p.m. today at
Abrams Planetarium.

Tonight as the sky darkens, look low in SW to WSW to find bright
Jupiter with faint Mars 1-1/4 degrees to its lower right. In SSW an hour
before sunup on Monday, the slightly gibbous Moon has Spica about
10 degrees to its lower left. At sunrise from southern U.S., Venus is 8
degrees almost directly above the Sun.

Monday, January 19
Low in WSW an hour after sunset, dim Mars is only 0.7 degree below
Jupiter. They'll be even closer next two nights. An hour before sunrise
on Tuesday, the Last Quarter Moon, half full, has Spica 6 degrees to its
lower right. Then, 45 minutes before sunrise, look for Venus in ESE, a
degree or two above the horizon and 15 degrees lower left of Mercury.

Tuesday, January 20
Mars and Jupiter are most closely paired this evening. Low in WSW an
hour after sunset, faint Mars is only about 0.2 degree lower left of
Jupiter. Saturn is now in SSW, 48 degrees to the pair's upper left.

Observers with telescopes or possibly good binoculars can locate
Comet Tempel-Tuttle tonight at RA 2 hr 05 min, Decl. +65.8 degrees
(position on Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST). Delta and Epsilon Cas are the 4th
and 5th brightest stars in the "W" of Cassiopeia. At 7 p.m. a line from
Delta to Epsilon, 4.8 degrees long, extended 2.4 degrees beyond
Epsilon ends near Comet T-T. By 5 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Comet
T-T moves within 0.6 degree of Epsilon, but the comet is low in the sky
then.

Wednesday, January 21
An hour after sunset, locate Jupiter very low in WSW, with Mars now
half a degree to its upper left. Jupiter will disappear into the twilight
glow early in February, while Mars can be followed until March.

On Thursday 45 minutes before sunup, Venus is a few degrees up in
ESE, with Mercury 12 degrees to its right. Each successive morning,
Venus gets higher, Mercury lower.

Thursday, January 22
An hour after sunset, very low in WSW, faint Mars is one degree upper
left of bright Jupiter, while Sirius, the brightest star, is very low in ESE,
below Orion.

An hour before sunrise on Friday, the crescent Moon is in SSE with
Antares, heart of Scorpius, about 10 degrees below, while Venus has
just risen in ESE. Follow Venus until sunrise, when binoculars will
readily show its thin crescent phase.

Friday, January 23
An hour after sunset, very low in WSW, Mars and Jupiter are 1.6
degrees apart, with faint Mars to upper left.

Celestial Preview 1998 at Abrams Planetarium: Showings this Friday
and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m.

On Saturday an hour before sunrise, the waning crescent Moon in SE
has reddish Antares 11 or 12 degrees to its lower right. Altair of the
Summer Triangle is low in east. Venus is just rising in ESE, 24 degrees
to Altair's lower right and 36 degrees to Moon's lower left.

Saturday, January 24
Very low in WSW an hour after sunset, locate the close planet pair:
Faint Mars is now just two degrees to upper left of Jupiter. An hour
before sunup on Sunday, the waning crescent Moon is in SE, with
Venus very low in ESE, 21 degrees to Moon's lower left. Another 15
minutes later, use binoculars to try for Mercury within 9 degrees to
Venus' lower right.

Sunday, January 25
WSKY ... Radio Station of the Stars, presented at 2:30 p.m. today at
Abrams Planetarium.

An hour after sunset, locate bright Jupiter very low in WSW, with faint
Mars 2.7 degrees to its lower right. Jupiter will be on far side of Sun on
Feb. 23, and Mars will be behind Sun on May 12. On what date will
you last see each planet in evening sky? On Monday, 45 minutes before
sunrise, locate brilliant Venus in ESE about 7 or 8 degrees left of old
crescent Moon. Using binoculars, watch for Mercury rising 8 degrees
lower right of Venus and about 7 degrees lower left of the Moon.

Monday, January 26
Jupiter is still easy for unaided eye very low in WSW at dusk. It'll
depart in two weeks.

On Tuesday about 30 minutes before sunrise in eastern U.S., binoculars
may show a hairline thin crescent Moon just risen in ESE within 9
degrees lower left of Venus. Best chance to see Moon will be from S.
Florida, where it's about 18.5 hours before New. Try also for Mercury 8
degrees lower right of Venus.

The Moon will be New on Wednesday at 1:01 a.m. EST. If you see the
Moon Tuesday morning or Wednesday evening, calculate its age before
or after New at the time of your sighting. A pair of sightings on both
occasions would be especially noteworthy!

Tuesday, January 27
An hour after sunset bright Jupiter is very low in WSW. Faint Mars is
within 4 degrees to its upper left. The Moon is New on Wednesday at
1:01 a.m. EST and therefore won't be seen at dusk until Wednesday or
Thursday.

Wednesday, January 28
Half an hour after sunset, a very young Moon is about to set in WSW.
Moon's age is then a very difficult under 17 hours as seen from
Northeast U.S., 17.5 hours from S. Florida, and an easier-to-see nearly
20 hours on the California coast, and a well-placed routine naked-eye
crescent nearly 23 hours old in Hawaii. Use binoculars to find the
hairline thin crescent, then attempt to see it with unaided eye. Scan the
horizon to lower right of Jupiter, at a distance 12 degrees from New
England, 11 degrees from S. Florida, and within 10 degrees from West
Coast. Note the times you first spot the crescent with optical aid and
with unaided eye, and calculate the Moon's age, or time elapsed since
New. The New Moon was this morning at 1:01 a.m. EST (Tuesday at
10:01 p.m. PST). If you see the crescent at dawn on Tuesday or at dusk
today, we'd like to receive detailed reports with your location, times of
your sightings, and sketches and descriptions of what you saw. Send
your report by mail to Jan. '98 Moonwatch, c/o Abrams Planetarium,
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824. By one system of
reckoning, the first unaided eye sighting of this evening crescent will
mark the beginning of the Islamic month of Shawwal and the end of the
fasting month of Ramadan. How many observers in North America
will spot the crescent with unaided eye on Wednesday evening, Jan. 28?

Thursday, January 29
Face WSW at dusk for an easy naked-eye view of a young crescent
Moon with bright Jupiter 3 to 5 degrees below. As the sky darkens,
look for Mars very near Moon and 5 degrees to upper left of Jupiter.
Soon after sunset from western U.S. Mars appears less than a degree
from the Moon's southern cusp, or lower point of the crescent.

Friday, January 30
At dusk look for an almost perfect alignment of four solar system
bodies in SW to WSW. Beginning with the crescent Moon, look next
for bright Jupiter 18 degrees to its lower right. As the sky darkens a bit,
faint Mars becomes visible 5 degrees upper left of Jupiter. About 28
degrees to Moon's upper left is Saturn. The Sun, unseen below the
horizon 18 degrees to Jupiter's lower right, also fits into the lineup. The
current line of three bright outer planets now takes up 46 degrees of sky.
In the year 2000, in the month of April, a rare gathering of these same
three planets will fit into less than 5 degrees of sky!

Final weekend of Celestial Preview 1998 at Abrams Planetarium:
Showings this Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m.

Saturday, January 31
Tonight at dusk a nearly 4-day-old crescent Moon is well up in SW.
Jupiter is 33 degrees to its lower right. Faint Mars is 6 degrees upper
left of Jupiter, and Saturn is 13 degrees upper left of Moon. Can you
predict where the Moon will appear on Sunday evening?

Milky Way Legacy opens Friday, February 6 at Abrams Planetarium.
Tour our amazing home galaxy with noted author Ken Croswell and
emerge with a clearer view of our home in space. Find out some of the
ways the Milky Way is very special, and how, unlike most galaxies, it
is equipped to create the variety of ingredients needed for life.
Showtimes: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 4 p.m.,
continuing through July.

********* end of Skywatcher's Diary for January 1998 *********