Sky Chart - January : 2009

 

    HAPPY IYA 2009

Sky chart details in Kannada

Get ready for

• The SOLAR ECLIPSE on 26^th January – partial phase visible from South India – magnitude ~0.1

• (2:33pm to 3:57pm from Bangalore; 2:31  to 3:55  from Mysore; 3:03 to 3:30 from Hubli)

• Annular eclipse visible only from Indian Ocean.

• DONOT look at the sun with naked eyes; project the image with a small mirror onto the wall.

• Venus and Moon together on 30^th evening

•  Mercury greatest elongation on 4^th ; Venus greatest elongation on 14^th

 The Sun:

• Sun moves from Sagittarius to Capricorn:  Right Ascension changes from  18:42 to 20:55; declination changes from -23 05’ to -17 24’. Daily images of the sun can be seen at

• http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime-images.html

• Earth at perihelion on 4^th ; sun’s disc appears largest

The Moon:

• Moon occults  Antares on 21^st    not visible from Bangalore

•  First Quarter 4^th at 17:54 ; Full moon 11^th at 08:57; Last Quarter 18^th 06:16

• New moon at 13:25 on 26^th solar eclipse

•  Perigee at 16:20 on 10^th; apogee at 05:41 on 23^rd.

The Planets

• Mercury  -  visible at dusk –  close to Jupiter in the first week, maximum elongation on 4^th .

• Venus –  visible at dusk; next to moon on 30^th  – maximum elongation on 14^th  

• Mars – visible by the end of the month but very low moves through Sagittarius – 4” – magnitude +1.6

• Jupiter -  not visible  – moves towards Capricorn  – 45” – magnitude -2.7

• Saturn – visible after midnight

• Uranus –   in Aquarius visible at dusk– magnitude 5.8; within 2 degrees from Venus in the last week

• Neptune – in Capricorn not visible

Dwarf Planets:

• Ceres - between Taurus and Gemini - magnitude 8.8

• Pluto – Sagittarius – magnitude 13.9

• Eeris – Pisces – magnitude 18.7

Meteor showers and comets :

• Watch out for Quadrantids  peak activity on 3^rd  – 30-40 meteors per hour.

 Visit www.heavens-above.com for interesting events, ISS sightings, bright comets and so on

 

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