Astronomy
2007
Southern Sky
Almanack
Posted on 2007 January 01 @ 00:01 - filed under Astronomy.
Mercury remains near the Sun this month. Venus is prominent in the morning sky, rising two hours before the Sun. Mars is visible for most of the night; it is at opposition on the 24th when it can be seen throughout the night. Jupiter is visible in the evening sky for the firs week, but then is too close to the Sun for observation. Saturn can be seen in the morning sky, rising around midnight.
Day | Event |
01 | Anniversary of the establishment of the Natal Observatory (1882). |
01 | Last Quarter Moon (14: 44). |
01 | Minor planet (14) Irene (mag=10.0) occults star UCAC2 37123909 (mag= 10.9) at 03:09. |
01 | Saturn near the Moon (2.1°). |
01 | Solar rotation number 2064 starts. |
02 | chi Orionids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Nov 26-Dec 15 (parent body unknown). |
02 | Jupiter's moon Callisto at maximum distance from the planet (7.0 arcmin west at 08h). |
02 | Religious holiday: First Sunday in Advent. |
03 | Jupiter, in Ophiuchus since the beginning of the year, enters Sagittarius. |
03 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin east at 18h). |
03 | Mars makes a close approach (26.3 arcmin) to Mebsuta (epsilon Gem, mag=3.2). |
04 | Periodic comet D/Denning (1894 F1) reaches perihelion (period 9.69 years). |
04 | Periodic comet P/Jedicke (1995 A1) reaches perihelion (period 14.35 years). |
05 | At noon, Venus is 8° from the Moon (looking WNW; altitude 51° Cape Town, 45° Johannesburg). |
05 | Cyril Jackson's birthday (1903). |
05 | Spica near the Moon (2.0°). |
06 | Anniversary of the 1882 transit of Venus, observed from southern Africa by South Africa, British and American astronomers. |
06 | At noon, Venus is 9° from the Moon (looking WNW; altitude 51° Cape Town, 45° Johannesburg). |
06 | December Phoenicids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Nov 28-Dec 09 (parent body is comet D/1819 W1 Blanpain). |
06 | Moon at apogee . |
07 | Anniversary of the arrival of Galileo space craft at Jupiter, in 1995. |
07 | Gerard Kuiper's birthday (1905). |
07 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin west at 08h). |
07 | Mercury enters Ophiuchus (December 07-18) from Scorpius. |
07 | Mercury near Antares (4.2°). |
07 | Minor planet (907) Rhoda occults star TYC 1785-01022-1 (mag= 10.13) at 21:32. |
07 | Puppid/Velids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Dec 01-Dec 15 (parent body unknown). |
09 | Antares near the Moon (0.4°). |
09 | Mercury near the Moon (4.3°). |
09 | Monocerotids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Nov 27-Dec 17 (parent body is comet C/1917 F1 Mellish). |
09 | Moon in Ophiuchus for about 21 hours. |
09 | New Moon (19: 40). |
09 | Start of spring on Mars. |
10 | Jupiter near the Moon (4.6°). |
10 | Jupiter's moon Callisto at maximum distance from the planet (6.9 arcmin east at 17h). |
10 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (3.9 arcmin east at 21h). |
10 | Moon southernmost declination this month (-27.9°). |
12 | Minor planet (4) Vesta occulted by the Moon as seen from S. America (except N.W. part) and New Zealand. |
12 | Periodic comet P/Shoemaker-Levy (1999 V1) reaches perihelion (period 16.41 years). |
12 | sigma Hydrids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Dec 03-Dec 15 (parent body is comet C/1943 W1 Van Gent-Peltier-Daimaca). |
14 | Geminids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Dec 07-Dec 17 (parent body is minor planet 3200 Phaethon). |
14 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin west at 13h). |
14 | Mercury at aphelion (last of four occurrences in 2007). |
14 | Neptune near the Moon (0.7°), occultation seen from southern Africa, S. tip of S. America and part of Antarctica. |
14 | Tycho Brahe's birthday (1546). |
16 | E. E. Barnard's birthday (1857). |
16 | Periodic comet P/LINEAR-Mueller (1998 S1) reaches perihelion (period 9.13 years). |
16 | Uranus near the Moon (2.1°). |
16 | Minor planet (2) Pallas occulted by the Moon, seen from N.W. Canada, Alaska, E. tip of Siberia and the Hawaiian Islands. |
17 | Anniversary of the first recorded comet observation from South Africa (1652), by Jan van Riebeeck. |
17 | First Quarter Moon (14: 18). |
17 | Mercury at superior conjunction. |
17 | Periodic comet 93P/Lovas reaches perihelion (period 9.20 years). |
18 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (3.9 arcmin east at 03h). |
18 | Mercury exits Ophiuchus (December 07-18) into Sagittarius. |
18 | Minor planet (233) Asterope occults star TYC 0245-01391-1 (mag= 10.17) at 04:57. |
19 | Jupiter's moon Callisto at maximum distance from the planet (7.0 arcmin west at 03h). |
19 | Mars nearest to Earth. |
20 | Coma Berenicids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Dec 12-Jan 23 (parent body unknown). |
20 | Mercury and Jupiter come within 1.8° (108 arcmin) of each other. The planets are only about 2° from the Sun, so this appulse won't be visible to the naked eye. |
20 | Saturn stationary. |
21 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin west at 17h). |
21 | Mercury near Jupiter (1.8°). |
21 | Pluto at conjunction. |
22 | Moon at perigee. |
22 | Solstice (08:08). |
23 | Jupiter at conjunction. |
23 | Moon in Auriga for about 11 hours. |
23 | Moon northernmost declination this month (+28.7°). |
24 | Full Moon (03: 16). |
24 | Mars at opposition, best time for observing (particularly from the northern hemisphere). |
24 | Mars near the Moon (0.9°), occultation seen from N.W. Canada, Alaska, Arctic regions, N. Russia, E. Europe and N.E. British Isles. |
25 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (3.9 arcmin east at 07h). |
25 | Pollux near the Moon (3.7°). |
25 | Religious holiday: Christmas Day. |
26 | Minor planet (704) Interamnia (mag=10.0) occults star TYC 1874-00859-1 (mag= 11.06) at 03:00. |
27 | Johannes Kepler's birthday (1571). |
27 | Jupiter's moon Callisto at maximum distance from the planet (6.9 arcmin east at 13h). |
28 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin west at 21h). |
28 | Regulus near the Moon (0.5°), occultation seen from S. America (except S. part) and Atlantic Ocean. |
28 | Saturn near the Moon (2.5°). |
28 | Sir Arthur Eddington's birthday (1882). |
29 | Solar rotation number 2065 starts. |
31 | Last Quarter Moon (09: 51). |
Constellations visible from Southern Africa at 21:00 SAST (* = overhead):
Andromeda , Antlia, Apus, Aries , Auriga, Caelum, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Carina, Cetus*, Chamaeleon, Columba, Crux, Dorado, Eridanus, Fornax*, Gemini, Grus*, Horologium, Hydrus, Indus, Lepus, Mensa, Microscopium, Musca, Octans, Orion, Pavo, Pegasus , Perseus, Phoenix*, Pictor, Pisces , Piscis Austrinus, Puppis, Pyxis, Reticulum, Sculptor*, Taurus, Triangulum, Triangulum Australe, Tucana, Vela, Volans.
Keywords: Astronomy, Southern Sky Almanack, 2007, monthly sky review, Southern Sky Talk podcast
This website is licensed under an attribution-noncommercial 2.5 creative commons license and is © 2005-2007 Auke Slotegraaf.
SOUTHERN SKY TALK
Your 90-second guide to what's cool in the heavens above. Southern Sky Talk is a free monthly astronomy podcast that describes the best sights in the southern skies. Get your free copy while stocks last.
TOP 100 DEEPSKY OBJECTS PROJECT
Observe the 100 best galaxies, star clusters and nebulae visible in the southern skies, and earn a Merit Award Certificate issued by the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa.
PHOTO GALLERIES
Images of deepsky objects, the Moon, night-time scenery, and more. Browse the galleries.
FOR SALE
"A Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way", E. E. Barnard (1927)
I have a copy of this rare work (both volumes), in excellent condition – if you're interested in buying it, I'm interested in selling, so please contact me.