2018 Week 3: (January 14-January 20)

We are entering the third week of the year with some great things going on in the sky.  The weather is supposed to be above freezing before dropping again the week after.  This may give us some good time under the sky with the Winter constellations.  Also, Jupiter and Mars are still within the same binocular field of view so if you haven't had a chance to see these great planets get out in the morning!

Date	Event
January 14	Saturn 3°S of Moon
January 15	Mercury 0.6°S of Moon
January 16	New Moon

Saturn and Mercury will be dancing with the Moon on the morning of January 15.  Good luck if you attempt to find them rising in the eastern sky prior to sunrise.  The Moon will be a mere 2% illuminated.  Binoculars will help.

The following day the lunar cycle starts again with a New Moon.

If you would like to hunt down some of the winter constellations I've provided a list of my favourites below.

Orion
Canis Major
Canis Minor
Gemini
Leo

Due to the New Moon, it will be a good week to search for these constellations and their associated deep sky objects.  They will appear from overhead down toward the southern horizon in the evening sky.  I would put Cancer on the list but it is quite dim but it certainly is worth seeking with binoculars to find the Beehive Cluster pictured below.

M44 - Beehive Cluster

If you have a telescope, use your widest field of view as it is over 1.5° wide.  Binoculars would be well used in this situation as well.

As for public events next week come down to the Kerby Centre on Thursday, January 18 for the Royal Astronomical Society - Calgary Centre General Meeting.  The main speaker will be Alan Dyer discussing the Milky Way and Northern Lights.  The details and link to the event are shown below.

Looking Up in Wonder: the Milky Way and the Northern Lights

Two great sky sights inspire us to look up in awe: the Milky Way and the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.

We are fortunate in being able to see both well from Alberta. But seeing the Northern Lights and the Milky Way each at their best can require travel to the opposite ends of the Earth.

In this richly illustrated talk, Alan presents images and movies of the Northern Lights and Milky Way taken from home in Alberta, from the Arctic, and from the Southern Hemisphere. He'll explain the science behind what we see when we look up to the Lights and Milky Way.

For the photographers, Alan will also include tips and techniques for capturing these amazing sky sights. However, this will be largely a non-technical talk suitable for all. Bring your friends and family!

https://www.facebook.com/events/164408310993441

I've had the great pleasure to listen to Alan's talks before and they are absolutely amazing!  We hope to see you out! 

Stay warm and enjoy the sky!