by Erich Karkoschka
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TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE January 20: 8:34-11:51 pm, totality 9:41-10:44 pm. High in sky, near Castor and Pollux. Southern limb of moon gets very close to the center of the umbra at mid eclipse (10:12 pm). |
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Mars at magnitude 1, 60 degegrees high at dusk, sets after 11 pm. It is moving fast through the faint stars of Pisces. |
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Uranus and Neptune on both sides of Mars visible in binoculars. |
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Venus rises 4 am at brillant magnitude -4.5, high during dawn, naked eye visibility after sunrise. |
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Jupiter at magnitude -2 rises first at 5 am. Jupiter and Venus approach each other. Closest on 21st, 2.5 degrees separation, spectacular around 6 am! |
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Comet Wirtanen, magnitude 5 and dimming, moves fast from Lynx to Ursa Major, circumpolar. |
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The moon will be close to Mars on the 12th and close to Venus on the 31st. |
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Latest sunrise is January 8. |