Astronomy
2007
Southern Sky
Almanack
Posted on 2007 January 01 @ 00:01 - filed under Astronomy.
Mercury is barely visible in the morning sky, remaining near the Sun. Venus is prominent in the morning sky, rising two hours before the Sun. Mars is visible for the second half of the night, rising earlier each night. By month's end it rises two hours after sunset. Jupiter is visible in the evening twilight, setting earlier each evening. Saturn can be seen in the morning sky, rising well after midnight.
Day | Event |
01 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.1 arcmin west at 10h). |
01 | Last Quarter Moon (23: 18). |
01 | Mercury stationary. |
01 | Periodic comet 50P/Arend reaches perihelion (period 8.26 years). |
03 | Mercury near Spica (3.9°). |
03 | Periodic comet 75D/Kohoutek reaches perihelion (period 6.70 years). |
03 | Periodic comet D/Blanpain (1819 W1) reaches perihelion (period 5.16 years). |
03 | Regulus near the Moon (0.1°), occultation seen from S. North America, Caribbean and north S. America. |
04 | Saturn near the Moon (1.7°). |
04 | Solar rotation number 2063 starts. |
05 | At noon, Venus is 4.5° from the Moon (looking NW; altitude 40° Cape Town, 38° Johannesburg). |
05 | Fred Whipple's birthday (1906). |
05 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.1 arcmin east at 00h). |
05 | Southern Taurids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Oct 01-Nov 25 (parent body is comet 2P Encke). |
05 | Venus near the Moon (2.8°). |
06 | Anniversary of the first sighting of supernova SN 1572, Tycho's Nova, in Cassiopeia, in 1572. |
06 | At noon, Venus is 8° from the Moon (looking NW; altitude 41° Cape Town, 38° Johannesburg). |
06 | Venus makes a close approach (12.4 arcmin) to Zavijah (beta Vir, mag=3.7). |
07 | Anniversary of the first transit of Mercury to be predicted, by Johannes Kepler, in 1631. |
07 | Jupiter's moon Callisto at maximum distance from the planet (7.1 arcmin east at 00h). |
08 | Edmund Halley's birthday (1656). |
08 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.1 arcmin west at 14h). |
08 | Spica near the Moon (1.8°). |
09 | Carl Sagan's birthday (1934). |
09 | Mercury at greatest elongation W (19°). |
09 | Minor planet (1) Ceres reaches opposition (mag 7.2, declination +8°). |
09 | Moon at apogee. |
10 | New Moon (01: 03). |
10 | R.T.A. Innes' birthday (1861). |
11 | Antares near the Moon (0.4°), occultation seen from S. part of S. America, S. Pacific Ocean, most of New Zealand and Polynesia. |
11 | Jupiter's moons Io and Europa approach to within 3.4 arcseconds of each other (at 20:25:00). |
11 | Jupiter's moons Io and Europa very close together (3.4 arcseconds at 20:25). |
11 | Minor planet (1) Ceres (mag=7.2) occults star TYC 0648-00805-1 (mag= 12.2) at 01:41. |
12 | Jupiter near the Moon (5.0°). |
12 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin east at 06h). |
12 | Moon in Ophiuchus for about 21 hours. |
12 | Northern Taurids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Oct 01-Nov 25 (parent body is comet 2P Encke). |
13 | James Clerk Maxwell's birthday (1831). |
13 | Minor planet (29) Amphitrite (mag=8.8) occults star TYC 1805-00560-1 (mag= 11.4) at 00:26. |
13 | Moon southernmost declination this month (-27.9°). |
13 | Venus makes a close approach (2.4 arcmin) to Zaniah (eta Vir, mag=3.9) . |
14 | Minor planet (3) Juno at conjunction. |
15 | Jupiter's moon Callisto at maximum distance from the planet (7.1 arcmin west at 09h). |
15 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin west at 19h). |
15 | Mars stationary. |
17 | Minor planet (29) Amphitrite reaches opposition (mag 8.8, declination +27°). |
17 | Neptune near the Moon (0.9°), occultation seen from Antarctica, S. Australia and New Zealand. |
18 | First Quarter Moon (02: 33). |
18 | Minor planet (1180) Rita occults star TYC 1896-01836-1 (mag= 10.1) at 01:50. |
19 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin east at 10h). |
19 | Leonids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Nov 14-Nov 21 (parent body is comet 55P Tempel-Tuttle). |
19 | Minor planet (8) Flora reaches opposition (mag 8.0, declination +9°). |
19 | Uranus near the Moon (1.9°). |
20 | Edwin Hubble's birthday (1889). |
21 | alpha Monocerotids meteor shower reaches maximum, active Nov 15-Nov 25 (parent body unknown). |
23 | Jupiter's moon Callisto at maximum distance from the planet (7.0 arcmin east at 21h). |
23 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin west at 00h). |
24 | Full Moon (16: 30). |
24 | Moon at perigee. |
24 | Uranus stationary. |
25 | Moon in Auriga for about 7 hours. |
26 | El Nath (beta Tauri) occulted by the Moon. |
26 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin east at 14h). |
26 | Moon in Auriga for about 10 hours. |
26 | Moon northernmost declination this month (+28.8°). |
27 | Mars near the Moon (1.7°). |
28 | Pollux near the Moon (3.5°). |
30 | Jupiter's moon Ganymede at maximum distance from the planet (4.0 arcmin west at 04h). |
30 | Regulus near the Moon (0.3°), occultation seen from E. India, S.E. Asia, N.E. Australia, New Zealand, Micronesia and Melanesia. |
30 | Venus at perihelion (second of two occurrences in 2007). |
30 | Venus near Spica (4.2°). |
Constellations visible from Southern Africa at 21:00 SAST (* = overhead):
Andromeda, Antlia, Apus, Aquarius*, Aries, Caelum, Canis Major, Capricornus, Carina, Cetus, Chamaeleon, Columba, Crux, Dorado, Eridanus, Fornax, Grus*, Horologium, Hydrus, Indus*, Lepus, Mensa, Microscopium*, Musca, Octans, Orion, Pavo, Pegasus, 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
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