January 2023
Happy New Year! Since this time last year we have circled around our sun once more. In the sky we have seen the sun pass through the 12 zodiac constellations (called the animal circle by the Greeks) that we are familiar with but did you know there is in fact a 13? Ophiuchus seems to have been missed out for practical reasons, as it just didn’t fit into our monthly moon cycle of 12 lunar months. The 13 constellations all fit into a path across the sky which is called the ecliptic. So if you were born between November 30th and December 17th the ‘serpent bearer’ could have been your sign!
Not only does the sun appear to move along this imaginary path in the sky but so do our planets and the moon. They were all created from a flat disc of material spinning around in a plane like a plate. This means if you know where the plane is then you will more easily be able to predict and spot where the planets are positioned. Remember that when you observe the sun at some points of the year it arcs high above the sky and at other times it is low on the horizon. So the ‘ecliptic path’ follows this change. I always try to include the ecliptic line (in yellow) on my star charts and as you will see the moon and planets are not far away.
Looking North January 22nd at 8pm
The Quadrantids Meteor Shower continues up to January 12th but peaks between the 3rd and 4th January. It can be one of the strongest showers and fragments that cause the bright streaks across the sky are travelling at 70 km per second. (the distance of Embsay to Blackpool.) We may be lucky and get treated to a short but active event. The origin is facing north and low in the sky but they could end up anywhere across the sky. It is a short-lived shower and best seen at its peak.
Planets to watch this month are Jupiter low in the West and Mars higher up but in the South.
Looking South January 22nd at 8pm
The south is dominated by Orion. Don’t forget to look just below the three stars of the belt where you will see a fuzzy blotch. Through a telescope, it is unforgettable.
Photo: Milan Davidovic Orion Nebula M42 (Embsay December 2019)
Looking away to the top right of Orion you will see a V shape. This is Hyades with one bright star called Aldebaran “The Follower” and is one of the 15 brightest stars in the night sky. Moving away further in the same direction you will glimpse the Pleiades or the 7 Sisters star cluster. This is one of the closest star clusters to us. There look to be 7 stars but in fact are as many as 3,000! Mars will be sitting pretty between the Hyades and Pleiades this month so it is quite an interesting area to gaze at.
Full Moon 6th January
New Moon 21st January
Clear Skies
Milan Davidovic
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