By Heather Durham | December 31, 2020
“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” – Aristotle.
January 2. The Earth will make its closest approach to the sun in its annual orbit.
January 3. Today we will have the Quadrantid meteor shower of the new year. This is from the Constellation Bootes. This named shower occurs in January and can be as rich and prolific as the Perseids or the Geminids. At times lasting for only a few hours, this will be at its peak intensity. Showers may seem faint in the night sky.
January 6. The Moon will be in its final quarter.
January 19. Today will bring another meteor shower: the y-Ursae Minorid from the Constellation Ursa Minor. This Constellation is also known as Little Bear when compared with Ursa Major.
January 20. The Moon will be at first quarter today.
January 21. Today, the Moon and Mars will rise closely with one another. Uranus will be joining the Moon and Mars. Mars is almost the smallest planet with the exception of Mercury. Uranus has 27 known moons.
January 23. Mercury will reach its greatest separation from the Sun today.
January 25. Mercury will reach its half phase today. This event may be a bit difficult to see with the naked eye.
January 26. Mercury will reach it’s highest point in the sky tonight. It is the smallest planet as well as the one closest to the Sun.
January 28. Full Moon today. Whereas it’s the second full Moon of winter, some refer to it as the Wolf Moon.
References:
In The Sky. (December 28, 2020). Night Sky Guide. Retrieved from in-the-sky.org/data/data.php
Wikipedia. (2020, November 23). Mars. Retrieved from en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars
Wikipedia. (2020, October 17). Mercury. Retrieved from en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury
Wikipedia. (2020, December 4), Quadrantid Meteor Shower. Retrieved from en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrantid_meteor_shower
Wikipedia. (2020, November 20). Ursa Minor. Retrieved from en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursa_Minor
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