When and how to look at the starry sky and not miss the amazing phenomena of 2017

1. Bright constellations and stars in the evening sky

Recognizable groups of stars are scientifically called asterisms. The most famous asterism - the Big Dipper - is located in the constellation Ursa Major. Since ancient times, the Mizar star on the bulge of its “handle” has been used to test visual acuity: next to it is a faint satellite star Alcor, which is not visible to people with impaired vision. Using the Bucket (or using the compass), it is not difficult to find the North Star, which is part of the constellation Ursa Minor. And then, orienting on the star map, you can look for all the other asterisms.

2. Most Active Meteor Showers

The most convenient meteor shower for observation - the Perseids - is active in the first half of August. At its maximum (August 12-13) it produces 60-100 meteors per hour and is considered by many astronomers to be the most active shower. But in reality, the most active streams - the Geminids and Quadrantids (both up to 120 meteors per hour) - are observed in mid-December and early January.

3. Periods of visibility of planets

Planets are another remarkable class of objects available for observation.
Venus, acting alternately as the Morning and Evening Stars, is the brightest star-shaped object in the sky. Jupiter is in second place. It is also easy to find Saturn and Mars, if, of course, you know where to look (for which you can use the planetarium program).

4. eclipses

Lunar eclipses are the most accessible for observation, as they are visible on the entire night side of the Earth. Solar eclipses occur a little more often, but are far from visible everywhere, and the total phase is only in a narrow band. Many amateur astronomers are engaged in a kind of eclipse hunt, combining their hobby with travel to the most exotic countries through which the total phase has passed.
In 2017, two lunar and two solar eclipses are expected, but only one of them (lunar) will be conveniently observed in Russia.

In January 2017, seven planets, several asteroids and two comets will be available for observation. An interesting event of the month will be the maximum of the Quadrantida meteor shower on January 3rd. Also on January 1, a very close approach of Mars and Neptune (1/30 of the diameter of the Moon's disk) took place, but this phenomenon was unobservable in the European part of Russia.

Moon On January 5, it enters the phase of the first quarter, on the 12th - the full moon, and on the 20th - the last quarter and on the 28th the new moon will come.

Mercury you can try to find just before sunrise with binoculars against the background of a bright twilight sky in the southeast during the period from January 10 to 20. Its brilliance will be +1*.

Venus visible in the evenings immediately after sunset as a very bright white star in the south, southwest in the constellation of Aquarius, later than Pisces. Mars will be next to Venus for the entire month, and on January 31, these planets and the Moon will form a triangle (see image). Gloss -4.6.

Mars visible low in the south-southwest for more than four hours after sunset as a not very bright orange star. The planet moves through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. Venus will be next to Mars for the entire month, and on January 31, these planets and the Moon will form a triangle (see image). Glitter +1.

Jupiter can be observed in the second half of the night and in the morning in the east as a bright yellow star. The period of visibility of the planet is increasing every day. Already through binoculars next to Jupiter, the Galilean satellites are visible: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io. Gloss -2.2.

Saturn visible in the second half of the month in the southeast one hour before sunrise. The brightness of the planet is +0.5.

Uranus visible in the evening and in the first half of the night in the constellation Pisces as a star of +6 magnitude. To find a planet, you need a star map and at least binoculars.

Neptune visible shortly after dark in the evenings in the constellation Aquarius as a +8 magnitude star. To find a planet, you need a star map and at least binoculars.

In December, 12 asteroids have a brightness greater than +11, the brightest will be Vesta(constellation Cancer and Gemini, +6.6), Ceres(constellation Cetus and Pisces, +8.6), Melpomene(constellation Cetus, +9.7) and Eunomia(constellation Sextans, +9.9). To find all the asteroids you need binoculars, more often a telescope and a star map. Any asteroid in a telescope looks like an ordinary star, which moves among the stars day by day.

Two comets will also be available for observation: Honda-Mrkos-Paidusakova(brilliance +8, constellation Sagittarius and Capricorn) and NEOWISE(shine +8, constellation Ophiuchus). To find all the comets mentioned, you need a telescope and a star map. Comets are visible through a telescope as gray hazy spots of varying brightness and size. The presence of a tail is optional.

In December, 2 meteor showers will be active. Maximum flow Quadrantid(Boötes constellation) will come on the 3rd, the maximum number of meteors is 120. Maximum Gamma Ursa Minorides(constellation Ursa Minor) - the 20th, the maximum number of meteors is 3.

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* The "brilliance" or "magnitude" of a celestial object is the measure of its brightness. The smaller the brightness value, the brighter the celestial object. Accordingly, if we say "brilliance increases", then its numerical value decreases. So, the Sun has a brightness of -26, the full Moon is -12, the stars of the Ursa Major bucket are on average +2. A person in urban conditions sees stars up to +4 magnitude, in rural areas up to +6. The limit of binoculars (in the absence of sky illumination) +8...+10, a small telescope (in the absence of sky illumination) +12...+13.

Among the many bright astronomical events of 2017, one can single out a complete solar eclipse in August. In addition, observers will have access to such phenomena as the flyby of an icy comet in February, the bright Geminids in December, as well as the appearance of especially large and bright Mercury and Jupiter in the sky at the beginning of the year.

Astro Star | Shutterstock

In the first half of February, the sky will be illuminated by the passage of a comet. After it circled the Sun in December 2016, comet 45P/HondaMrkosPaidusakova begins its return to the outer solar system. Her appearance in the sky can be observed at dawn, she will fly through the constellations Eagle and Hercules. On February 11, the comet will be as close as possible to the Earth at a distance of about 12.4 million km. Scientists expect that its brightness will reach a level at which it can be observed with the naked eye.

Happy observers caught in the path of the shadow in the Southern Hemisphere will be able to see an annular solar eclipse, or, as it is also called, a “ring of fire”. It occurs when the Moon's disk is too small to cover the Sun, resulting in sunlight being visible around the dark lunar silhouette. The path of the shadow will pass through the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, cross South America and end in Africa. To the north and south of it, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in many regions.

After sunset, observers should look to the western sky, where the thin crescent of the Moon forms an impressive celestial triangle with Mercury below and to the right of it, as well as Mars, which will crown the couple. The uniqueness of the event lies in the fact that Mercury will be at its highest point, and will also be very bright. This planet closest to the Sun is difficult to observe, as it is usually lost in the brilliance of the star. But at the end of March, Mercury will reach its farthest point from the star for an earthly observer.

Jupiter will pair with Spike, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, throughout the year. But in April, the largest planet in the solar system will meet the moon. On this night, two celestial bodies will rise together in the east just after the sun sets in the west. At this time, Jupiter will look especially bright, because just 3 weeks before that, the opposition of Jupiter and the Sun will take place when the planet will be on the continuation of the Sun-Earth line.

This year, residents of the United States will be able to observe the total phase of the eclipse, residents of North America, Western Europe And South America. The eclipse will be visible across the US from coast to coast, from Oregon to South Carolina. The full phase will be observed in many cities, and most of the country's population will be a maximum of 1 day's journey from places where this phenomenon can be seen. The partial eclipse will be available over a larger area across the entire continent.

The two brightest celestial bodies in our firmament will converge at dawn on November 13th. The conjunction can be seen in the lower part of the sky in the east, the two planets will be separated by only 18 arc minutes. Since this event will occur low to the horizon, the planets will not be as easy to see due to the light of the morning twilight, so binoculars will make viewing more enjoyable.

The Geminid meteor shower will peak tonight. Typically, this meteor shower sees 60-120 meteors per hour, but this year it will be special, as the light of the waning moon will only interfere with the observation until midnight. As soon as the moon goes below the horizon, best time for observing meteors the predawn hours of December 14, when the shower will just reach its peak.

In January, there is an opportunity to observe both the well-known constellations: Taurus and Orion, and the unfamiliar ones: Cutter, Golden Fish, Table Mountain and Grid.

Firstly, you can find the Pleiades star cluster and the bright diffusion nebula of Orion, famous for the Horse's Head, a gas and dust formation that adorns many printed publications with its photographs. Inhabitants southern hemisphere, observing the constellations in January, have the opportunity to admire the Magellanic Clouds - dwarf galaxies that are satellites of the Milky Way.

Under the sign of Taurus

Taurus in the Northern Hemisphere is visible all winter and part of spring. For residents of the southern latitudes, it is available from November to February. One of the versions of the origin of the name is connected with the story of the abduction of the Phoenician princess, named Europa, who was stolen by Zeus who turned into a bull - it is believed that it personifies this ancient Greek deity. The most famous objects of the constellation are the Crab Nebula and the Pleiades. Between the horns of Taurus, clearly visible in the form of the letter V, are the Hyades - the closest to solar system open star cluster.

The constellation Orion can be observed from October to March in both hemispheres. In the winter sky, this is one of the brightest star formations. Orion's belt of three stars serves as a guide to finding him. The nebula of the same name, together with two stars, forms the Sword of Orion. These objects are very visible to the naked eye, unlike the Horse Head, which requires good optics to observe in detail. It looks especially good in infrared images and really looks very much like a foal's head.

Star Cutter

The incisor is a constellation that includes 21 faintly luminous objects. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is partially observed south of the 63rd parallel, and becomes fully visible below 40 ° N. sh. It is necessary to look for it between Eridanus and Dove. The group of stars owes its name to the scientist and priest Lacaille, who, while doing geodetic work in southern latitudes, introduced many similar technical terms to designate celestial objects. Therefore, below the equator, mythology in the names of the constellations is much less, but there are a lot of names like Pump, Cutter, Compasses, Furnace and Microscope.

Celestial Dorada

The name of the constellation Golden Fish (Dorado) in 1589 was given by the Dutchman Peter Plancius, although many sources continue to attribute primacy to the German Johann Bayer, who used it in his atlas 14 years later. Johannes Kepler suggested the name Swordfish, but in the end the former stuck. The main thing is that astronomers had no doubts that the constellation looks exactly like an inhabitant of the aquatic environment. It can be observed from November to January at latitudes south of 20°N. sh. The constellation contains the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy visible to the naked eye, located at a distance of 50 kpc.

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To observe Table Mountain - the constellation named so by the Frenchman Lacaille, you will need to go to the Southern Hemisphere, or at least to the equator. It really resembles the peak of the same name in southern Africa, where astronomical observations were made. The constellation consists of 24 unremarkable dim stars visible to the naked eye. For observers, it is interesting that the Large Magellanic Cloud is partially located in it, serving as a jumper between it and the Golden Fish.

Diamond Network

In an effort to maximize the accuracy of the definition, Lacaille called the constellation of 22 stars of the Southern Hemisphere he described the Rhomboid Network for its similarity to the notches of the telescope's eyepiece. As a result, the name was simplified to Grid. Interestingly, Isaac Habrecht, who previously combined only four stars of this site, called them Rhombus. Either scientists thought the same way, or the Frenchman knew about the work of the German. For lovers of observations, it is not of particular interest, but it is interesting in that it contains a binary system consisting of stars similar to the Sun.

In January, in the evening sky, Mars and Venus take turns passing close conjunctions with Neptune, which require a telescope to observe, since distant Neptune is inaccessible to weak optical instruments, especially in the evening sky. Mercury visible for about an hour against the background of the dawn at the most southwestern horizon. Venus sparkles with a bright Evening Star above the southwestern horizon, first in the constellation of Aquarius, by the end of the month passing into the constellation of Pisces. Mars observed in the evening sky over the southwestern horizon in the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. Jupiter visible above the southeastern horizon in the second half of the night in the constellation Virgo, moving over its bright star Spica. Saturn visible in the morning sky just above the southeastern horizon. Uranus And Neptune visible in the evening and at night in the constellations of Pisces and Aquarius.

Moon will approach the indicated planets: on January 2 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.15 - with Venus, on January 3 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.23 - with Mars and Neptune, on January 6 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.57 - with Uranus, on January 19 in the morning at lunar phase 0.60 - with Jupiter, January 24 in the morning with a lunar phase of 0.15 - with Saturn, January 26 in the morning with a lunar phase of 0.04 - with Mercury, January 30 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.05 - with Neptune. For observations, it is better to choose nights when the Moon near the full phases does not pass near the observed planet.

The visibility conditions are given for the middle latitudes of Russia (about 56°N). For cities to the north and south, celestial bodies will be located at the indicated time, respectively, slightly lower or higher (by the difference in latitudes) relative to their places in the sky of Bratsk. To clarify the local conditions for the visibility of planets, use planetarium programs.

MERCURY moving backwards in the constellation Sagittarius, on January 8, changing the movement to a straight line. The planet is visible at dawn for a month, reaching a maximum western elongation of 24 degrees on January 12, after which it returns to approach the Sun, completing visibility. The apparent diameter of Mercury decreases from 9 to 5 arc seconds with increasing brightness from +3.2m to -0.3m. The phase of Mercury changes from 0.05 to 0.8 per month. Successful observations of Mercury during periods of visibility require binoculars, an open horizon, and a clear twilight sky.

The position of Mercury in the morning sky of January 2017 during the period of maximum elongation

VENUS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. The planet is visible in the evening dawn over the southwestern horizon, reaching a maximum angular distance from the Sun of 47 degrees on January 12, after which it will begin its rendezvous with the Sun. The duration of the visibility of Venus against the background of the twilight sky reaches 4 hours by the end of the month. The angular dimensions of the planet's disk increase from 21 to 30 arc seconds. The phase of the planet decreases from 0.57 to 0.4 with increasing brightness from -4.5m to -4.8m. Such a bright brilliance and angular distance from the Sun make it possible to observe Venus during the day with the naked eye (assuming a transparent clear blue sky).

On January 13, Venus will come close to Neptune, reaching an angular distance in the sky of 0.35 degrees.

MARS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces. It can be observed in the evenings for 4-5 hours above the southwestern horizon. The brightness of the planet decreases from +1m to +1.2m in a month, and the angular diameter adheres to the value of 5". For observations, a telescope with a lens diameter of 60-90 mm is required. To observe the details on the disk of Mars, the moment of opposition, which occurs once every two years, is best suited. At other periods, Mars appears in a telescope as a tiny reddish disk with no details. The next opposition of Mars will occur on July 27, 2018 (Great Opposition!).

On January 1, Mars will come close to Neptune, reaching an angular distance of 0.016 degrees in the sky.

JUPITER moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Virgo (above * Spica). The gas giant rises above the southeastern horizon at night and increases visibility from 6 to 8 hours by the end of the month. The angular diameter of the giant planet in the sky increases from 35 to 38 arcseconds, and the brightness from -1.8m to -2.0m.

Position of Jupiter in the morning sky January 2017

Four bright satellites of the giant are visible through binoculars - due to the rapid orbital movement, they noticeably change their position relative to each other and Jupiter during one night (the configurations of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto can be found in astronomical calendars or in planetarium programs).

The telescope distinguishes bands (northern and southern equatorial bands), shadows from satellites periodically pass across the planet’s disk, as well as the famous huge oval cyclone BKP (Great Red Spot), which makes a complete revolution along with the planet’s atmosphere in 9.5 hours. The current longitude of the BKP can be found at http://jupos.privat.t-online.de/rGrs.htm. The BKP appears about 2 hours before passing through the meridian and disappears after 2 hours (goes beyond the disk).

The moments of the passage of the BKP through the central meridian of Jupiter in January 2017 (universal time UT)
To get the time for Bratsk, you need to add 8 hours to UTC

Current longitude of BKP 262°

SATURN moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Ophiuchus. The planet is observed in the morning near the southeastern horizon, increasing the duration of visibility from 1 to 2 hours during the month. The angular diameter of Saturn is 15 seconds of arc at magnitude +0.6m.

In a small telescope, the ring around the planet and the satellite Titan (+8m) are clearly distinguished. The visible dimensions of the planet's ring are about 40x16 arc seconds. At present, the rings of the planet are open at 27° and the north pole of the gas giant is illuminated by the Sun.

Position of Saturn in the morning sky in January 2017

URANUS moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces. The planet can be observed from late evening until midnight during moonless periods (i.e. at the beginning and at the end of the month). The brightness of the planet adheres to the value of +5.8m at an angular diameter of 3".

During opposition periods, Uranus can be observed with the naked eye in a clear transparent sky, in the absence of illumination from the Moon (near the new moon) and away from city lights. In a 150-mm telescope with a magnification of 80x and higher, you can see a greenish disk ("pea") of the planet. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness weaker than +13m.

The position of Uranus and Neptune, Mars and Venus in the evening sky at the end of January 2017

NEPTUNE moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Aquarius near the star lambda (3.7m). The planet is visible in the evening sky, the duration of visibility decreases from 5 to 2 hours. The brightness of the planet is +7.9m magnitude with an angular diameter of about 2".

Binoculars or a telescope using star charts and a clear, transparent and moonless sky will help you find Neptune during periods of visibility. To view the disk of the planet, you need a 200-mm telescope with a magnification of 100 times or more (with a transparent sky). The satellites of Neptune have a brightness weaker than +13m.