In a rare astronomical phenomenon, the planet Venus passes between the Earth and the sun, Venus can be seen with the naked eye during the crossing period, which will last seven hours. Rarity of this phenomenon back to that Venus revolves around the sun is greater than the Earth's rotation around the sun quickly, in addition to the axis of rotation of the planet Venus italic what reduces the chances of the convergence of themes and the moratorium on the flat line with the sun. The phenomenon will be repeated after 117 years.

1. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events
The Planets this Month - page 2
Planet Highlights - page 7
All 5 Naked-Eye Planets in the Dawn Sky - page 10
Moon Phases - page 11
Earth Reaches Perihelion on Jan. 4 - page 12
Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peaks - page 13
Comet Catalina in the Early Morning Sky - page 14
Lunar Occultation of the Star Aldebaran - page 18
www.AstroAsheville.org

2. The only naked-eye planet visible in the early evening
sky this month is Mercury, and its twilight
appearance will last for only the first week of the
January.
Find Mercury very low in the SW at dusk; use
binoculars to assist you in spotting it.
Mercury reaches inferior conjunction (passing
between the Earth and the Sun) on January 14th.
At its next inferior conjunction on May 9th, Mercury
will pass directly across the Sun’s disk for its first
“transit” in 10 years. With clear skies, this 7½ hour
event will be visible in its entirety from Asheville.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events – the Planets

3. Uranus and Neptune continue to be visible in the
early evening sky. Find them shortly after dark -
Uranus in the constellation Pisces and Neptune in
the constellation Aquarius. You will need to observe
these two planets early, before they set this month.
Neptune is best viewed just after dark during the first
two weeks of the month, and Uranus is best viewed
after dark but before 9:00 p.m. all month.
You will need a telescope to easily observe these two
faint planetary disks.
Find a location chart for Uranus and Neptune at this
link.
Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events – the Planets

4. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
The planets Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Venus can
be found all month in the south to southeast pre-dawn
and dawn skies.
All 4 bright planets should be very easy to spot in this
early morning lineup along the ecliptic.
Moving to the west side of the Sun (following its
January 14th inferior conjunction), Mercury will join
Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Venus at dawn by month-
end. Find Mercury rather low in the east-southeast
twilight zone during the last week of the month.
This will be the first time in 11 years that all 5 visible
planets will be observable simultaneously!

5. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
The bright stars Spica and
Antares are located 263 and
604 light years, respectively,
behind the planets.
All month in the dawn skies, find 4 bright
naked-eye planets aligned along the ecliptic.
The view from Asheville, NC about
one hour before sunrise on Jan. 15th
Horizon

6. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events
Venus Passes Saturn in the Dawn Skies
At dawn on January 9th, the bright
planet Venus will appear close to
the fainter planet Saturn.
In another week, Venus will appear
well below Saturn, as it orbits
toward the back side of the Sun,
while Earth’s solar orbit will cause
Saturn to appear higher in the sky.
Saturn is some 883 million miles
behind Venus! Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope
Conjunction of Venus and Saturn

7. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Planet Highlights
Planet Avg.
Distance
from
Earth
Constella-
tion(s)
Avg.
Diameter
in arc
seconds
Avg.
Mag-
nitude
Comments
Page 1 of 3
Mercury 0.8
AUs
Sagittarius
&
Capricornus
8.4 0.7 Reaches inferior
conjunction on
Jan. 14th
Venus 1.2
AUs
Scorpius,
Ophiuchus &
Sagittarius
13.3 -4.0 Prominent as
the “morning
star” this month
Mars 1.4
AUs
Virgo &
Libra
6.2 1.1 Positioned in
the morning sky
all month

8. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Planet Highlights
Planet Avg.
Distance
from
Earth
Constella-
tion(s)
Avg.
Diameter
in arc
seconds
Avg.
Mag-
nitude
Comments
Page 2 of 3
Jupiter 4.8 AUs Leo 40.7 -2.3 Rising in the east
by 9:05 p.m. at
month end.
Saturn 10.7
AUs
Ophiuchus 15.6 0.5 Can be found in
the SE dawn sky
all month
Uranus 20 AUs Pisces 3.5 5.8 Observe it early
in the evening
this month

9. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Planet Highlights
Planet Avg.
Distance
from
Earth
Constella-
tion(s)
Avg.
Diameter
in arc
seconds
Avg.
Mag-
nitude
Comments
Page 3 of 3
Neptune 31 AUs Aquarius 2.2 7.9 Sets soon after
dusk this
month

10. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events
Catch all 5 Naked-eye Planets and the Moon in the Dawn Skies
The view from Asheville, NC at 6:45 a.m. EST on Sunday, January 31st, about
46 minutes before sunrise. Notice the gibbous Moon above Mars. Use
binoculars to help you locate fainter Mercury near the horizon.
Horizon
Dawn on Jan. 31st
5 planets from left
to right along the
ecliptic: Mercury,
Venus, Saturn,
Mars & Jupiter.

11. Astronomy Club of Asheville
The Moon – January 2016
Unless otherwise indicated, all times are EST
** The “Wolf Moon”
Last Quarter 2nd 12:30 a.m.
New Moon 9th 8:30 p.m.
First Quarter 16th 6:26 p.m.
Full Moon** 23rd 8:46 p.m.
Last Quarter 31st 10:28 p.m.

12. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events
On January 2nd, Saturday, the
Earth reaches “perihelion” -
closest approach to the Sun for the
year.
The word “perhelion” is from the
Greek: “peri” meaning near and
“helios” meaning Sun.
Earth is some 3 million miles closer
(or one part in 30 closer) at perihelion
than at the farthest point in its
elliptical orbit (aphelion) in early July.
Yet we experience our coldest
weather in the northern hemisphere
during January.
It’s the Earth’s 23½° axial tilt combined with its orbit, not its distance from
the Sun, that causes the seasons.
In January the northern hemisphere is pointed away from the warmth of
the Sun.

13. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events
Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peaks
Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope
 This year’s Quadrantid Meteor Shower is predicted to peak in the Asheville
area during the early pre-dawn hours of Monday - January 4, 2016.
 Under clear dark open skies, you
can expect from 60 to 200
meteors per hour, but these
numbers are difficult to predict
reliably.
 A 30% illuminated waning
crescent Moon will rise about
2:26 a.m. on Jan. 4th, but it
should not create a significant
problem for the meteor
observing.
 The source of this meteor shower
is the debris from an object
labeled 2003 EH1 – an asteroid
or possibly an extinct comet.

14. Comet Catalina in the early morning skies all month
Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
• Discovered in 2013 by observations of the Catalina
Sky Survey, Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) has
steadily brightened. This new comet comes from
the Oort Cloud in the outer regions of the solar
system.
• Will it become visible to the unaided eye?
• Comet predictions are challenging, but Catalina is
presently brightening and forecasted to reach
magnitude 4.8 this month – visible to the naked
eye under clear dark skies.
• Its closest approach to Earth (some 67 million
miles) occurs on January 12th.
• Observing Catalina will require an early rise as it
will be visible in our pre-dawn/dawn skies.
• Comet Catalina passes very close to the bright star
Arcturus in the constellation Bootes on Jan. 1.
Telescopic image of
Comet Catalina taken in early
August 2015

15. Comet Catalina’s path as viewed from
the ecliptic plane on Jan. 12, 2016
Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events – the Planets
Image courtesy of Sky & Telescope
Having rounded
the Sun below the
Earth’s orbital
plane, Comet
Catalina continues
its journey back to
the Oort Cloud in
the outer reaches
of our solar
system.
Sun

16. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016
Sky Events
Comet Catalina’s Path
through the January
Pre-Dawn Skies
Chart courtesy of Sky & Telescope
In January Comet
Catalina is leaving the
inner solar system, as
it continues its long
journey back toward
the Oort Cloud.
Follow this comet
through our northeast
skies this month.
be

17. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016
Sky Events
Comet Catalina near the
zenith in the early morning
of January 12th
Horizon
Comet Catalina
The 4 planets Jupiter, Mars,
Venus & Saturn join Comet
Catalina in the dawn skies.
Using binoculars or a small
telescope will help in locating
this faint comet.
The comet is located just off the
end star (Alkaid) in the handle
of the Big Dipper.
On January 12th Catalina is at
its closest approach to Earth –
about 67 million miles away.
Horizon
The view from Asheville,
NC looking southeast
about 6:00 a.m. EST on
January 12th
Horizon

18. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events
The Moon Occults the Star Aldebaran
The waxing gibbous Moon will occult (pass in front
of) the bright, orange, giant star Aldebaran on the
night of January 19th – Tuesday.
Aldebaran (in the constellation Taurus) is the
brightest star that the Moon can pass across;
Aldebaran shines at magnitude +0.9.
With binoculars or a small telescope, watch this
star disappear from view behind the dark limb of
the Moon about 9:21 p.m. EST, and reappear on
the other side, from the illuminated limb, about
10:17 p.m. EST – a 56 minute stellar “blackout”.
These times are for Asheville, NC.

19. Astronomy Club of Asheville
January 2016 Sky Events
The Gibbous Moon
Occults the Star
Aldebaran on Tuesday,
January 19th
Look to the south-southwest
into the constellation Taurus
to observe this event.
All times are approximate for
Asheville, NC using EST.
Aldebaran is 65 light years
behind the Moon!
Aldebaran
Aldebaran
Disappearance
about 9:21 p.m.
Reappearance
about 10:17 p.m.

20. End