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Sky Calendar – January 2024
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29 Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 8h UT (distance 405,777km; GI in ω e ll a S IT Diffuse Nebula
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angular size 29.4'). BY g m 51 n n on N
US o n t 28 e c RIZ O Planetary Nebula
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More sky events and links at http://Skymaps.com/skycalendar/ G n
6752 -H Open Star Cluster
TH
ES - TO
KY Z ON
All times in Universal Time (UT). (Australian Eastern Daylight Time = UT + 11 hours.) MA 5822
6025 H O R I Globular Star Cluster
PT M
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 Easily Seen with the Naked Eye

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
JANUARY 2024
About the Celestial Objects
Listed on this page are several of the brighter, more interesting celestial objects Capella Aur The 6th brightest star. Appears yellowish in color. Spectroscopic binary. Dist=42 ly.
visible in the evening sky this month (refer to the monthly sky map). The objects are Sirius CMa The brightest star in the sky. Also known as the "Dog Star". Dist=8.6 ly.
Procyon CMi Greek name meaning "before the dog" - rises before Sirius (northern latitudes). Dist=11.4 ly.
grouped into three categories. Those that can be easily seen with the naked eye (that Canopus Car Second brightest star in the sky. 14,000 times more luminous than the Sun. Dist=309 ly.
is, without optical aid), those easily seen with binoculars, and those requiring a β Centauri Cen With Alpha Centauri, forms the so-called "Pointers-to-the-Cross". Dist=525 ly.
telescope to be appreciated. Note, all of the objects (except single stars) will α Centauri Cen Nearest bright star to Sun at 4.4 ly. Brilliant double star in a telescope. 80 year period.
appear more impressive when viewed through a telescope or very large Achernar Eri Brightest star in Eridanus, The River. Arabic name meaning "end of river". Dist=144 ly.
binoculars. They are grouped in this way to highlight objects that can be seen using Castor Gem Multiple star system with 6 components. 3 stars visible in telescope. Dist=52 ly.
Pollux Gem With Castor, the twin sons of Leda in classical mythology. Dist=34 ly.
the optical equipment that may be available to the star gazer. Rigel Ori The brightest star in Orion. Blue supergiant star with mag 7 companion. Dist=770 ly.
Betelgeuse Ori One of the largest red supergiant stars known. Diameter=300 times that of Sun. Dist=430 ly.
Tips for Observing the Night Sky Pleiades
Hyades
Tau
Tau
The Seven Sisters. Spectacular cluster. Many more stars visible in binoculars. Dist=399 ly.
Large V-shaped star cluster. Binoculars reveal many more stars. Dist=152 ly.
When observing the night sky, and in particular deep-sky objects such as star clusters, Aldebaran Tau Brightest star in Taurus. Not associated with the Hyades star cluster. Dist=66.7 ly.
nebulae, and galaxies, it’s always best to observe from a dark location. Avoid direct

CELESTIAL OBJECTS
light from street lights and other sources. If possible observe from a dark location Easily Seen with Binoculars
away from the light pollution that surrounds many of today’s large cities. M38 Aur Stars appear arranged in "pi" or cross shape. Dist=4,300 ly.
You will see more stars after your eyes adapt to the darkness—usually about 10 to M36 Aur About half size of M38. Located in rich Milky Way star field. Dist=4,100 ly.
20 minutes after you go outside. Also, if you need to use a torch to view the sky map, M37 Aur Very fine star cluster. Discovered by Messier in 1764. Dist=4,400 ly.
M41 CMa First recorded observation by Aristotle in 325 BC as "cloudy spot". Dist=2,300 ly.
cover the light bulb with red cellophane. This will preserve your dark vision.
2516 Car Spectacular open star cluster of 100 stars spaning 1/2 deg. Dist=1,300 ly.
Finally, even though the Moon is one of the most stunning objects to view 2808 Car Located 4 deg W of Nu Carinae. Visible to the naked eye on clear nights.
through a telescope, its light is so bright that it brightens the sky and makes many of 3114 Car Stunning open cluster. 30+ stars visible through 7x binoculars. Dist=2,900 ly.
the fainter objects very difficult to see. So try to observe the evening sky on moonless 3293 Car Rich, tightly packed. Surrounded by large, faint nebulosity. Dist=8,500 ly.
nights around either New Moon or Last Quarter. IC 2602 Car The "Five of Diamonds". Bright cluster twice diameter of full Moon. Dist=491 ly.
3372 Car Eta Carinae Nebula. Enormous glowing cloud in rich star field. Dist=8,000 ly.
3532 Car Herschel - "most brilliant cluster". 60+ stars in 7x binoculars. Dist=1,300 ly.
Astronomical Glossary Mira Cet Famous long period variable star. Mag varies between 3.0 & 10.1 over 332 days.
LMC Dor Large Magellanic Cloud. A neighbouring galaxy of the Milky Way. Dist=180,000 ly.
Conjunction – An alignment of two celestial bodies such that they present the least M35 Gem Fine open cluster located near foot of the twin Castor. Dist=2,800 ly.
angular separation as viewed from Earth. M48 Hya 12+ stars in 7x binoculars. Triangular asterism near centre. Dist=1,990 ly.
Constellation – A defined area of the sky containing a star pattern. γ Leporis Lep Visible with binoculars. Gold & white stars. Mags 3.6 & 6.2. Dist=30 ly. Sep=96.3".
2232 Mon A large scattered star cluster of 20 stars. Dist=1,300 ly.
Diffuse Nebula – A cloud of gas illuminated by nearby stars. 2244 Mon Surrounded by the rather faint Rosette Nebula. Dist=5,540 ly.
Double Star – Two stars that appear close to each other in the sky; either linked by M50 Mon Visible with binoculars. Telescope reveals individual stars. Dist=3,000 ly.
gravity so that they orbit each other (binary star) or lying at different distances from M42 Ori The Great Orion Nebula. Spectacular bright nebula. Best in telescope. Dist=1,300 light years.
ζ Phoenicis Phe Eclipsing binary star and double (mag 8). Varies between 3.9 & 4.4 over 1.667 days.
Earth (optical double). Apparent separation of stars is given in seconds of arc ("). L2 Pup Semi-regular variable. Magnitude varies between 2.6 & 6.2 over 140.42 days.
Ecliptic – The path of the Sun’s center on the celestial sphere as seen from Earth. M47 Pup Bright star cluster. 15+ stars in 7x binoculars. Dist=1,500 ly.
M46 Pup Dist=5,400 ly. Contains planetary NGC 2438 (Mag 11, d=65") - not associated.
Elongation – The angular separation of two celestial bodies. For Mercury and Venus
2451 Pup 30+ stars in binoculars. The brightest star, χ Puppis, is red. Dist=850 ly.
the greatest elongation occurs when they are at their most angular distance from the 253 Scl Fine, large, cigar-shaped galaxy. Requires dark sky. Member of Sculptor Group.
Sun as viewed from Earth. 47 Tucanae Tuc Spectacular object. Telescope will reveal stars. Near edge of SMC. Dist=15,000 ly.
Galaxy – A mass of up to several billion stars held together by gravity. β Tucanae Tuc Complex multiple star. Binoculars show one pair. Telescope required to split primary star.
SMC Tuc Small Magellanic Cloud. Companion galaxy to Milky Way. Requires dark sky. Dist=210,000 ly.
Globular Star Cluster – A ball-shaped group of several thousand old stars. 2547 Vel Fine open cluster visible through binoculars. Dist=1,300 ly.
Light Year (ly) – The distance a beam of light travels at 300,000 km/sec in one year. IC 2391 Vel Omicron Velorum Cluster. Superb object for binoculars. Dist=450 ly.

Magnitude – The brightness of a celestial object as it appears in the sky. Telescopic Objects
Open Star Cluster – A group of tens or hundreds of relatively young stars. 2070 Dor Tarantula Nebula. A bright nebula located in LMC. A star-forming region.
Opposition – When a celestial body is opposite the Sun in the sky. θ Eridani Eri Striking blue-white double star. Mags 3.2 & 4.3. Visible in a small telescope. Sep=8.2".
β Monocerotis Mon Triple star. Mags 4.6, 5.0 & 5.4. Requires telescope to view arc-shape. Sep=7.3".
Planetary Nebula – The remnants of a shell of gas blown off by a star. 2264 Mon Christmas Tree Cluster. Associated with the Cone Nebula. Dist=2,450 ly.
Universal Time (UT) – A time system used by astronomers. Also known as Greenwich σ Orionis Ori Superb multiple star. 2 mag 7 stars one side, mag 9 star on other. Struve 761 triple in field.
Mean Time. Australian Eastern Standard Time (Sydney, Australia) is UT plus 10 hours. k Puppis Pup Telescope easily shows two blue-white stars of almost equal brightness. Sep=9.9".
M1 Tau Crab Nebula. Remnant from supernova which was visible in 1054. Dist=6,500 ly.
Variable Star – A star that changes brightness over a period of time. 3132 Vel One of the brightest planetaries. Magnitude 10 central star. Dist=2,600 ly.
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