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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through January 23, 2020. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
Venus continues to blaze in the southwest sky where it is noticeable from sunset until its own setting at about 8:00 p.m. A telescope can reveal the planet’s phase, which is currently gibbous and resembles that of the moon about four days from full.
The moon is last quarter on the 17th, and on the following morning it will rise as a waning crescent, at 1:03 a.m. On the 23rd, the morning before new moon, it rises at 6:09 a.m.
Don’t forget to try to take a look at––and maybe even get a picture of––the constellation Orion with its red star Betelgeuse at what is close to the dimmest that it has ever been seen. With the moon absent until after midnight, conditions may now be at their best to record the fade of Betelgeuse. The American Association of Variable Star Observers––AAVSO for short––has introductory information about watching variable stars, including Betelgeuse.
The planet Mars is easy to see above the southeast horizon by about 5:45 a.m. To identify it, first find the brightest object in that direction, which is the orange star Antares, in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion. Mars is slightly fainter than Antares, but is a close color match for the star. In fact, the ancient Greek name “Antares” means the “rival of Mars.” On the 17th, Mars is located less than five degrees to the upper left of Antares. On each following morning, the position of Mars will move down and to the left relative to the star until the 23rd, when both objects are at the same elevation above the horizon. The crescent moon will pass above Mars on the 20th.
On the 14th at 6:30 a.m., the brilliant planet Jupiter should be visible just above the east-southeast horizon, to the lower left of Antares and Mars as it returns to view after being unobservable in the sun’s glare for the last month. Jupiter will move higher into the morning sky and appear earlier as the month goes on. The moon will be to the upper right of Jupiter on the 22nd.
The International Space Station will make two evening appearances high over Los Angeles. On Saturday the 18th the ISS will first appear close to the southwest horizon, near Venus, at 6:39 p.m. It will be visible for another three minutes until it is hidden by Earth’s shadow, at 6:42 p.m. when it vanishes 66 degrees above the southeast horizon, near the bright star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus the Bull. On Tuesday the 21st, the ISS will be visible from 5:52 to 5:58 p.m. as it moves from the southwest to the northeast horizon. It will be at its highest at 5:55 p.m. when it is 66 degrees above the northwest horizon.
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 from Tuesday through Sunday, before 9:30 p.m.
Check our website for the 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 on Saturday, February 1st, between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Follow The Sky Report, All Space Considered, and Griffith Observatory on Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.