To inaugurate the astronomical phenomena of 2023, January arrives in grand style, with the peak of the first meteor shower and three very bright conjunctions, as well as an exuberant full moon.
All are visible to the naked eye, from anywhere in Brazil, without the need for any special tools. Just clear skies.
Hint: one place or app of astronomy (cf Skywalk, StarchartSky Safari or Stellarium) are useful for reporting the location of objects and showing the best times of visibility in your region.
4/1: Peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower
The first of the major meteor showers of 2023 peaks in early January. Although little known, it is one of the most intense, with up to 120 meteors per hour. It will be best observed in the northern hemisphere. In these parts it will be a challenge, but it will be possible to see some “shooting stars”.
To do this, you need to wake up early: meteors can be seen just before dawn, from 4:30 until dawn. They also appear very close to the horizon, so it is recommended to be in a higher place with an unobstructed view.
If you meet the requirements, look north and wait for meteors. They will appear to converge in the constellation Boieiro, the radiant rain (use an app to find it).
The Quadrantids have an unknown origin; don’t know which one is yours asteroid o mother comet. Its annual period of activity is between December 28 and January 12.
6/1: Full Moon
New Year’s Day rises on Friday (6), shortly after 19:00, together with sunset: anyone with an unobstructed view will be able to admire both phenomena simultaneously, one on each side of the sky. It will be visible all night long, crossing the sky from end to end.
Tip: try to admire the Moon in the first hour after rising, very close to the horizon, because the optical effects make it appear even larger, due to the perspective with terrestrial references (such as buildings and trees), and has beautiful variations of hue (yellowish, orange, reddish, pinkish), due to interaction with the atmosphere.
The next day is also a great observing opportunity, with our satellite still at 100% illumination. But it will go up a little later, around 7.50pm.
1/22: Venus-Saturn conjunction
Venus and Saturn will be so close together that they will appear as a very bright object. We will only have a short time to observe: the pair will set shortly after the Sun.
At around 19:00, look towards the western horizon (same direction as the sun sets), with the sky still a little bright, and look for the two bright points close together. Follow them until they set at 8pm.
23/1: Moon-Saturn-Venus conjunction
Repeat the process from the night before; this time, Saturn and Venus will be a little further apart. But the scene does gain the gracious company of the Moon, which will be thin as a smile, above the planets.
Emphasizing that when we speak of conjunctions we refer to the point of view of the Earth. In space, bodies are separated by millions of kilometers.
1/30: Lunar occultation of Mars (conjunction)
In practice, the Moon will pass “in front” of Mars, which will disappear from our sky for about an hour. It’s like an eclipse. But, unfortunately, it won’t be visible from Brazil. Here, we’ll just see the two very close to each other – another conjunction.
When the sun sets, around 7 pm, the couple will already be high in the sky, heading north. They head west together for a dip, disappearing around 1am. The closer you look at them, the more they will stick together.
We won’t be able to see the moment of occultation, but this “cosmic kiss” will be beautiful. Mars appears as a red star of fixed brightness to the right of the waxing Moon.
Mars very close to the Moon before an occultation
Image: TacioPhilip
