LISTEN to this week’s Sky Report

This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the period between January 1 and January 31, 2024. Here are the events happening in the sky of southern California.

Mercury rises in the east-southeast at 5:32 a.m., PST, on the 1^st, and the sun rises at 6:59 a.m., PST, one hour 27 minutes later. On the 31^st, Mercury rises at 5:54 a.m., PST, and the sun rises at 6:51 a.m., PST, 57 minutes later.  On the 15^th, Mercury’s disk is 69-percent illuminated and 6.3 arcseconds wide. Do not observe any planet when it comes close to the sun, for the danger to the eyes is great.

Venus rises in the east-southeast at 4:08 a.m., PST, on the 1^st, two hours 51 minutes before sunrise. On the 31^st, Venus rises at 4:58 a.m., PST, one hour 53 minutes before sunrise. On the 15^th, the disk of Venus is 82-percent illuminated and 13 arcseconds wide.

Mars rises in the east-southeast at 6:08 a.m., PST, on the 1^st, 51 minutes before sunrise. On the 31^st, Mars rises at 5:43 a.m., PST, one hour eight minutes before sunrise. On the 15^th, the disk of Mars is 99-percent illuminated but only 3.9 arcseconds wide and therefore too small to see details on its disk through a telescope.

Jupiter sets in the west at 2:03 a.m., PST, on the 1^st, and sets at 12:13 a.m., PST, on the 31^st. The planet’s disk is 42 arcseconds wide on the 15^th, and so a telescope capable of magnification 50x will show the Red Spot. The four bright Galilean moons can be seen moving back and forth, across and behind Jupiter.

Saturn sets in the west-southwest at 9:02 p.m., PST, on the 1^st. On the 31^st, the sun sets at 5:22 p.m., PST, and Saturn sets at 7:19 p.m., PST, one hour 57 minutes later. The disk of Saturn is 16 arcseconds wide. The rings and Saturn’s largest moon Titan may be seen with a telescope capable of magnification 50x.

Uranus sets in the west at 3:11 a.m., PST, on the 1^st and sets at 1:11 a.m., PST, on the 31^st. On the 15^th, Uranus is at Right Ascension 3^h 7^m 9^s with a declination of +17° 13ʹ 20ʺ. Uranus is only 3.7 arcseconds wide, and so a telescope with a magnification of 150x is needed.

Neptune sets at 10:46 p.m., PST, on the 1^st and sets at 8:51 p.m., PST, on the 31^st. On the 15^th, Neptune is at Right Ascension 23^h 44^m 49^s with a declination of -2° 59ʹ 02ʺ. Neptune is only 2.2 arcseconds wide, and so a telescope with a magnification of 150x is needed to show the disk.

The last quarter moon occurs on the 3^rd, new moon on the 11^th, first quarter on the 17^th, and full moon on the 25^th.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on the night of the 3^rd through the morning of the 4^th. The peak usually only lasts six hours. Rates may approach 25 meteors per hour, but the last quarter moon will reduce this number after midnight. These meteors usually lack persistent trains but can produce bright fireballs. They appear to radiate from the constellation Boötes the Herdsman. Unusually, the meteors appear to originate from a dead comet or asteroid designated 2003 EH.

Follow All Space Considered and Griffith Observatory on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.