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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the period ending Thursday, January 24, 2013. Here is what’s happening in the skies of Southern California:
The moon’s phase waxes through this period from crescent to gibbous, reaching first quarter phase on Friday, January 18. Moonset occurs about 50 minutes later each successive night, advancing from 10:46 p.m. on Wednesday the 16th to 4:55 a.m. on Thursday the 24th. The entire period is an excellent one for early evening study of the moon through a telescope.
Circumstances remain ideal for observing the brilliant planet Jupiter. Located near the orange star Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull, Jupiter can’t be missed high in the eastern sky as darkness falls. It is highest and to the south at about 8:15 p.m., before slowly shifting to the west and setting in the north-northwest at 3:00 a.m. Steadily-held binoculars should reveal Jupiter’s four largest moons. A telescope will show details of the planet’s weather patterns and storms, including the Great Red Spot. The moon appears very close to Jupiter on Monday night, the 21st. Observers across much of South America will then be treated to a spectacular view of the moon crossing in front of Jupiter, an occultation of the planet.
Planet Saturn, in Libra the Scales, is well placed for viewing in the southeast between 4:00 a.m. and the start of dawn at 5:30 a.m., when it is more than 30 degrees high. A telescope will show a spectacular view of the north face of Saturn’s rings, tilted about 19 degrees in our direction.
Unless its orbit is changed, there should be two opportunities to see the automated Air Force space plane X-37B as it passes 220 miles over Los Angeles on its secret mission. The first of these should take place on Friday, January 18, between 6:34 and 6:37 p.m., PST as it travels from the west-northwest to nearly overhead, before reaching earth’s shadow. Two nights later, Sunday, January 20, the X-37B nearly retraces the same path, but is visible for a longer time, from 5:49 to 5:55 p.m. It will pass from west-northwest to the south-southeast, vanishing while 29 degrees high. On both passes, the X-37B is expected to be a little brighter than magnitude 2, or the same as the brightest stars of the Big Dipper.
This is the time of year when a silvery star glinting different colors makes its appearance low in the southeast when darkness falls. This is the star Sirius, the brightest star visible in the nighttime sky. Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is part of the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog. Canis Major is a companion of Orion the Hunter, and always follows Orion through the sky. From the Northern Hemisphere, Sirius can be found by extending the line made by the belt of Orion to the left by 20 degrees, or roughly the amount covered by two clenched fists held out at arm’s length. From Los Angeles, Sirius is nearly south and 39 degrees above the horizon at about 10:30 p.m.
Free views of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night, are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes Wednesday-Sunday before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for our schedule. The next public star Party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 19.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and after January 23 I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.