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For amateur radio operators and scanner enthusiasts around the world, please join the Colorado Astronomy Net on the Rocky Mountain Radio League's K1DUN repeater on 449.450 MHz or other digital and analog repeaters, Allstar nodes, Echolinks, DMR and internet links connected to the SKYHUBLINK system. The net meets on Tuesday nights at 7 P.M. Mountain Time (US) (Wednesday at 0200 GMT). Connecting to the SkyHubLink system has expanded our coverage in the U.S., Canada and internationally. All Amateur radio operators worldwide are welcome. Anyone may listen to the net. The RMRL provides a "Live Audio Feed" using Broadcastify.
Obtain your Amateur Radio (Ham) License or your General Radio Operator's License (GROL)! Visit the South Metro VE Team website for more information. The South Metro VE Team provides test sessions by appointment only. Check the website for current information. All others interested in Amateur Radio, check out the Amateur Radio Relay League website to find out more information about becoming an Amateur Radio operator.
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Excerpts from JPL mission updates are provided as a public service as part
of the JPL Solar System Ambassador/NASA Outreach program.
For special JPL programs and presentations in your area visit the JPL Solar System Ambassador website.
(Click on the logo to link to the JPL SSA homepage.)
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In this Newsletter...
Background screen credits: NGC5775
Imaged March 21/22, 2001
using the 16" Kitt Peak Visitors Center telescope
as part of the
Kitt Peak Advanced Observing Program.
"The rocky planets congregate in the predawn sky to kick off the first month of 2024. Here, Venus lies highest (above the star Regulus), while Mars and brighter Mercury are below the Moon." Astronomy Magazine, January 2024, p. 28. - Alan Dyer
The Month At-A-Glance
A calendar displaying the daily astronomical events.
Phases
- Last Quarter Moon occurs on the 3rd.
- New Moon occurs on the 11th.
- First Quarter Moon occurs on the 17th.
- Full Moon occurs on the 25th.
Apogee/Perigee
- The Moon is at Apogee (251,599 miles from Earth) on the 1st.
- The Moon is at Perigee (225,102 miles from Earth) on the 13th.
- The Moon is at Apogee (252,138 miles from Earth) on the 29th.
Moon/Planet Pairs
(All times are local unless otherwise noted.)
Planetary Highlights for January
"The new year begins with Jupiter and Saturn visible most of the evening. Uranus and Neptune are on show as well, requiring optical aid to spot. Meanwhile Mercury, Venus, and Mars congregate in the morning sky, with Mercury and Mars reaching a close conjunction. Also don't miss the occultation of Antares, visible from portions of the mountain states and southern California. Add the potential for some binocular comets, and 2024 is off to a great start." Astronomy Magazine, January 2024, p. 28.
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Mercury
Is stationary on the 1st. Mercury is at greatest western elongation (24°) on the 12th. Mercury rises at 5:52 a.m. on the 1st and about 6:18 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mercury in the morning sky very low on the horizon about 30 minutes before sunrise. Mercury moves from the constellation of Ophiuchus into Sagittarius shining at magnitude -0.2 on the 15th.
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Venus
Rises at 4:27 a.m. on the 1st and about 5:21 a.m. by month's end. Look for Venus to the east before sunrise. Venus moves from the constellation of Scorpius into Sagittarius shining at magnitude -4.0 on the 15th.
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Earth
Is at perihelion (91.4 million miles from the Sun) on the 2nd.
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Mars
Rises at 6:31 a.m. on the 1st and about 6:04 a.m. by month's end. Look for Mars after mid-month low on the eastern horizon before sunrise. Mars is in the constellation of Sagittarius shining at magnitude 1.3 on the 31st.
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Jupiter
Sets at 2:17 a.m. on the 1st and about 12:25 a.m. by month's end. By the time the Sun sets, Jupiter is visible, high in the south. Jupiter is in the constellation of Aries shining at magnitude -2.5.
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Saturn
Sets at 9:01 p.m. on the 1st and about 7:16 p.m. by month's end. By the time the Sun sets, Saturn is visible in the southwest soon after sunset. Saturn is in the constellation of Aquarius shining at magnitude 0.9.
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Uranus
Sets at 3:29 a.m. on the 1st and about 1:26 a.m. by month's end. Uranus is stationary on the 27th. Uranus follows just about an hour behind Jupiter, visible in the south soon after sunset. Uranus is in the constellation of Aries shining at magnitude 5.7.
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Neptune
Sets at 10:51 p.m. on the 1st and about 8:53 p.m. by month's end. Look for Neptune following Saturn by about 2 hours in the south-southwest soon after sunset. Neptune is in the constellation of Pisces shining at magnitude 7.8.
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Dwarf Planets |
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Ceres
Rises at 5:27 a.m. on the 1st and about 4:23 a.m. by month's end. Ceres is visible in the early morning sky to the east. Ceres moves from the constellation of Ophiuchus into Sagittarius shining at magnitude 9.1.
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Pluto
Is in conjunction with the Sun on the 20th. Pluto sets at 6:03 p.m. on the 1st. After conjunction, Pluto returns to the morning sky, rising about 6:45 a.m. by month's end. Pluto is too low and too dim to spot this month. Pluto is in the constellation of Sagittarius shining at magnitude 15.2.
As always, good luck at spotting Neptune, Ceres and Pluto, a large telescope and dark skies will be needed.
Constellation information provided by Go Astronomy. |
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Meteor Showers
The Quadrantids - This shower is generally visible between December 28 and January 7, with a very sharp maximum of 45 to 200 meteors per hour occurring during January 3 and 4. The meteors tend to be bluish and possess an average magnitude of about 2.8.
Meteor Shower Radiant Report
For more information about Meteor Showers, visit Gary Kronk's
Meteor Showers Online web page.
Meteor Scatter (or Meteor burst communications) - "is a radio propagation mode that exploits the ionized trails of meteors during atmospheric entry to establish brief communications paths between radio stations up to 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi) apart." Tune your shortwave or your HF amateur radio to 54.310 MHz SSB and see if you can hear any pings. Try other frequencies as well... 6m FT8 digital - 50.313 Mhz & 50.276 Mhz, JP-65 digital mode and the carrier frequencies of the lower VHF bands for TV channels 2, 3 & 4.
Meteor Rx How-To by Terry Bullett (WØASP)
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Comets
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks passes through the constellation of Cygnus. This once in a life time comet (71 year orbit) may shine around 10th magnitude this month. Be prepared to view this comet early in the evening soon after sunset and before it dips below about 10° above the western horizon.
For information, orbital elements and ephemerides on observable comets, visit
Observable Comets.
For more information about Comets, visit Gary Kronk's
Cometography.com webpage. |
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Eclipses
Solar Eclipses
No solar eclipse activity this month.
Lunar Eclipses
No lunar eclipse activity this month.
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Observational Opportunities
Look for Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in the evening.
Look for Mercury, Venus, Mars and Ceres in the morning.
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Asteroids
(From west to east)
- Melpomene is in the constellation of Cetus.
- Vesta is in the constellation of Gemini.
- Metis is in the constellation of Gemini.
- Astraea is in the constellation of Orino.
- Juno is in the constellation of Virgo.
- Pallas is in the constellation of Serpens.
- Information about the Minor Planets can be found at
the Minor Planet Observer website.
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Ocultations
Information on various
occultations can be found by clicking the IOTA logo.
The Moon occults Antares on the morning of January 8, visible in the northwestern part of the U.S. Check these two links:
1) OCCULTATION of ZC2366 on 08 JAN 2024
2) Lunar occultation of Antares
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In this section I will post meteor, fireball, etc sightings that have been published on the American Meteor Society's web site. I want to make this an active section of the web pages and newsletter and would like to publish the links to member sightings. If you have any published sightings, please provide me with the links and I will post them here for all to enjoy.
Event ID |
Date/Time |
Location |
Observer |
Link |
3871-2015 |
2015-11-13 01:55 MST |
CO |
Charles N |
3871a |
3587-2015 |
2015-11-22 17:38 MST |
CO |
Kevin S |
3587aw |
3829-2015 |
2015-12-05 18:06 MST |
CO |
Burness A |
3829a |
986-2020 |
2020-02-21 22:20 MST |
CO |
Lukas S |
986 |
3716-2020 |
2020-07-24 23:22 MDT |
CO |
Lukas S |
3716 |
4774-2021 |
2021-08-13 21:57 MDT |
UT |
Lukas S |
4774 |
7044-2021 |
2021-10-28 20:37 MDT |
CO |
Burness A |
249058 |
6763-2022 |
2022-10-06 05:56 CDT |
OK |
Mike C |
6763 |
5300-2023 |
2023-09-11 22:04 MDT |
CO |
Lukas S |
5300 |
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I have created a web page containing images taken and submitted by subscribers to the email newsletter, check-ins to the Colorado Astronomy Net and readers of the online newsletter. Any one wishing to submit their own images to the gallery, please let me know. The images must be taken by the submitter and be astronomy related. Please include a description and your information so that I can give proper credit to your work.
Featured Images
Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
October 13, 2023
Image Courtesy of Burness Ansell (KIØAR)
Approx. 90 minute exposure (1000 stacked frames)
Location: 37° 12' 10.19" N, 109° 56' 02.05" W
Elevation: 5143 ft.
Taken with: Dwarf II
Note: Dwarf Galaxy M32 to the upper left
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(Excerpts from recent JPL mission updates)
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Mars website mobile version is here!
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(If you have a link you would like to recommend to our readers, please feel free to submit it.)
- Brighton Astronomy Group - Astronomy in Brighton, Colorado (under construction).
- Cloudbait Observatory, Guffey Colorado - Submit your fireball reports here. Interesting, knowledgeable site.
- Colorado Springs Astronomical Society - The Colorado Springs Astronomical Society (CSAS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the enjoyment of the nighttime sky.
- Denver Astronomical Society - The Deep Space Exploration Society is a Colorado based nonprofit organization dedicated to practical astronomy and space science education for students, the general public, and society members.
- Deep Space Exploration Society - Promotes the enjoyment and understanding of astronomical phenomena, history and lore by providing educational and observing opportunities for our members, general public, and outreach activities at the University of Denver's historic Chamberlin Observatory, schools, and nature centers.
- Little Thompson Observatory - Begin or sustain your interest in astronomy at LTO! The night sky is wondrous, filled with countless swirling galaxies, the planets, the moon and so much more. Many of these sights are easily visible from Earth, but few people have witnessed them personally.
The Little Thompson Observatory can change that for you. Our mission is to help people of all ages learn about the universe by offering a first-hand experience with astronomy...
- National Space Science & Technology Institute - NSSTI runs the Star Light—Star Bright Observatory in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- Northern Colorado Astronomical Society - The Northern Colorado Astronomical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the science of astronomy and to encourage and coordinate activities of amateur astronomers.
- Rocky Mountain Star Stare - The Premier Star Party in The Rocky Mountains
- SkyWatchers - Coal Creek Canyon Sky Watchers - Coal Creek Canyon Sky Watchers is an astronomy and space exploration group that features expert presenters on topics such as the exploration of the Moon, Mars and other planets, international space exploration missions, as well as other astronomy topics. We established Sky Watchers in 2014 and usually have about 35 attendees at our meetings.
- Southern Colorado Astronomical Society - The Southern Colorado Astronomical Society, CSU-P and the Pueblo Nature and Raptor Center welcomes everyone to participate in the discovery of our night sky.
- Star Cruiser Bill's Astrophotography - Great astrophotography from Aurora Colorado.
- Star Light-Star Bright Observatory - The observatory is part of the nonprofit National Space Science & Technology Institute's education and public outreach program.
The goal of the Star Light—Star Bright Observatory, is to put the universe within reach of primary grade students and their teachers; along with being an educational asset for the community. The observatory is an educational project that was established in 2004 to serve young and old alike and provides the only free access to viewing the universe in the Pikes Peak Region.
- AMSAT - The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, or AMSAT, is a worldwide group of Amateur Radio Operators (Hams)... AMSAT's goal is to foster Amateur Radio's participation in space research and communication.
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NRAO - Radio Astronomy news and information.
- Radio JOVE Project - Radio JOVE students and amateur scientists observe and analyze natural radio emissions of Jupiter, the Sun, and our galaxy.
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Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers - The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) is an international society of dedicated enthusiasts who teach, learn, trade technical information, and do their own observations of the radio sky.
- "TheSky" - Astronomy Software by Software Bisque. It's where discoveries are made. Where astronomers unravel the mysteries and reveal the beauty of space. At the heart of this search lies Software Bisque and its family of precision-crafted robotic telescope mounts, astronomy software solutions and embedded systems. Tools that help quench the astronomers' thirst for scientific breakthrough and personal enrichment the world over.
- A Sea of Stars - Voyages of a Merchant Mariner & Amateur Astronomer - I'm a retired Navy veteran, currently sailing with the US Navy's Military Sealift Command as an Operations Chief. My dominant interests are science (esp. astronomy), history and photography, and I enjoy naval and military wargaming WHEN I can find the time.
- A Short Guide to Celestial Navigation - Celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects — sun, moon, planets, or stars.
- The ARRL - Amateur Radio Relay League - Information about amateur radio and how to become an amateur radio operator.
- American Meteor Society - Provides amateur observers a place to learn about and report meteor, fireball and related sightings.
- AstroBackyard - Welcome to the AstroBackyard Backyard of the Week! This is a place where we honor the hard work and dedication put into building an astrophotography rig to capture the glorious night sky. There are many ways to tackle this hobby, with varying types of telescopes, cameras, and mounts with one thing in common — they produce results!
- Astrogirl Homepage - Astrogirl.org exists to educate, encourage and promote the hobby of amateur astronomy to people of all ages. It is the goal of this site to provide relevant information and resources to the amateur astronomer as an aid in their enjoyment of the night sky. It is a family-friendly, educational site and has been rated as a safe site for all ages.
- Astronomia - Online web applications that use catalogues of astronomical objects. Applications and their description are also prepared in English.
- Astronomy Picture of the Day - Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
- Astronomy Resources
- This site has some good links a young, interested student wishes to share.
- Beginners Guide To Astrophotography - A Quick & Easy Tutorial Of How To Take DSLR Astro Photography
- Be an Astronomer right from your Window - At-home astronomy techniques.
- Black Hole Encyclopedia - Excellent site from StarDate - University of Texas McDonald Observatory
- Caelum Observatory - The LARGEST dedicated public telescope in the Southwest at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter!
- Celestron Telescopes - Celestron telescopes.
- Citizen Science - Citizen Science Projects - NASA's citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public.
- Clear Skies Observing Guides - CSOG, short for Clear Skies Observing Guides is a new concept in visual amateur astronomy. It is a digital publication that will enable observers to target all deepsky objects and carbon stars within reach of their equipment.
- The Constellations of the Night Sky - Good site for finding out more about the 88 constellations and their associated stars. Links to the constellations mentioned in the newsletter can be found on this page.
- CosmoQuest - The place where you map other worlds, explore out universe and contribute to science.
- Distant Suns - Desktop Astronomy package for PCs.
- EarthSky - Astronomy news.
- Go Astronomy - Links to constellations, noted in this newsletter, as well as to promote and educate people about amateur astronomy.
- Heavens-Above - As the name implies - What's up in the heavens, particularly satellite passes.
- The International Dark-Sky Association - To preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies.
- informED: 10 Teaching Tools for Educators - informED - Teacher Resources.
- Isa's Astrophotography Atelier - Isabel Streit's exceptional astrophotography web page.
- iTelescope.net - iTelescope.Net is the world's premier network of Internet connected telescopes, allowing members to take astronomical images of the night sky for the purposes of education, scientific research and astrophotography.
- JPL Solar System Ambassador Program - "Volunteers Bringing the Solar System to the Public"
- JPL Solar System - Jet Propulsion Laboratory information on our solar system.
- K8JTK.ORG - Welcome to the home page of Jeffrey Kopcak. You will find pages and posts I wrote about my hobbies, interests, projects, and things I'm involved in.
- Kids Space Center - Telescopes and Astronomy - Another site suggested by a young student - Great info about telescopes.
- Mars Exploration, Mars Rovers Information, Facts, News, Photos - National Geographic - Mars Exploration - Investigating the Red Planet.
- Meade Advanced Products Users Group - Mapug-Astronomy Topical Archive & information resource, containing a massive 335 page archive of discussions about Meade equipment, and much more: observatories, observing lists, permanent piers, equatorial wedges, remote operations, software, eyepieces, etc.
- NASA - Lunar and Planetary Science - General information, Missions to Comets, Data, Press Releases, Meteors and Meteorites, Other topics of Interest.
- NASA Science News - NASA missions, updates, astronomy news, excellent resource.
- National Archives info on space exploration - Archives Library Information Center (ALIC) - Space Exploration - Information about the United States' space flight programs, including NASA missions and the astronauts who participate in the efforts to explore space.
- Phys.org - Science News including Nanotechnology, Physics, Earth, Astronomy & Space, Technology, Chemistry, Biology and Other Sciences.
- Predictions for Solar and Lunar Eclipses - A website dedicated to predictions and information on eclipses of the Sun and Moon.
- Sky360 - What's in our skies? - Observational Citizen Science of Earth's Atmosphere and Beyond.
- Skymaps.com - Free sky maps each month.
- SKY-MAP.ORG - The main purpose of SKY-MAP is to consolidate astronomical, astrophysical and other information about different space objects and astrophysical facts.
- Space.com - Interesting space and astronomy articles.
- Spaceflight Now - Launches and satellite news.
- SpaceLinks/Space Careers - SPACELINKS is a specialist staffing consultancy sourcing and supplying high caliber professionals for a wide range of world class organizations in the Space and Defense industry.
- "SpaceRef.com" - SpaceRef's 21 news and reference web sites are designed to allow both the novice and specialist alike to explore outer space and Earth observation.
- Space Weather - Check out what the sun is doing as seen from space.
- Stellarium - Free, downloadable planetarium/astronomy software.
- The Most Expensive & Amazing Telescopes In History - Some of the most expensive and amazing telescopes in history - From The Hub Post.
- The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography - Looking up into the night sky with just your eyes and maybe a telescope is amazing on its own. But it can be even better when you photograph and record it for your memories.
- Top 50 Astronomy NASA Photos of All Time - A list of the most interesting moments in the history of science - From The Hub Post.
- Ultimate Resource Guide for Astronomy - The resources we have provided below cover everything from discussing what astronomy is all the way to social media groups that focus on this popular and interesting topic. Use this resource guide for finding some great sites on astronomy whether you are a teacher looking for lesson plan ideas, a student wanting to brush up on their knowledge, a college student looking for a career or you just love the stars and want the most from your experiences.
- UniverseToday - Short, interesting articles about space and related topics.
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Definitions of astronomical terms.
Many of the astronomical terms used in this newsletter are defined here.
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The author will accept any suggestions, constructive criticisms, and corrections. Please feel free to send me any new links or articles to share as well. I will try to accommodate any reasonable requests. Please feel free to send questions, comments, criticisms, or donations to the email address listed below. Enjoy!