January 2009 Monthly Sky Guide

As '09 begins, the pair of lights we've been watching during December are still visible in the sky. Though not as close together and to the moon, Jupiter and Venus are still making a show. During the 1st few days of January, Mercury and Jupiter (the solar system's smallest and largest planets) are fairly close to each other. As the month moves along, Mercury becomes easier to see (though never very easy) as Jupiter becomes more difficult to discern. Meanwhile, Venus remains the sight to see during January and through the winter.

Another target for your binoculars or telescope is the dwarf planet Ceres. It will meander through the constellation of Leo during January and February before moving on to Leo's little brother, Leo Minor in march.

Check out this map for the month of January, or create your own customized map with our Free Sky Maps tool.

Note: This map is for a median time and location and may have slight differences from your location and viewing time. Planets and moons shown on this map will have the highest probability of appearing in different locations.

Use this handy Sky Map Symbols Key to figure out what you should be looking for.

Check out our Astronomical Events Calendar to learn about other happenings in space and on Earth. Here is a sampling of highlights.

• 1 - International Year of Astronomy 2009 Begins
• 3 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower Peak
• 4 - Earth At Perihelion (0.983 AU From Sun)
• 13 - Geminids Meteor Shower Peaks
• 18 - Comet C/2008 E1 (Catalina) Closest Approach To Earth (4.129 AU)
• 21 - Solstice
• 26 - Annular Solar Eclipse
• 26 - Chinese New Year

This month, the constellation Ursa Minor can be seen high in the sky. Let's take a closer look at Ursa Minor.

• The Lesser Bear
• Genitive: Ursa Minoris
• Abbreviations: UMi, U Min
• Right Ascension, (h): 15
• Declination, (deg): 70N

Born in Marshfield, MO, Edwin Powell Hubble was an American astronomer. Hubble played a key role in establishing just what galaxies are by showing that some spiral nebulae were actually entire galaxies—much like our own Milky Way. The Hubble Space Telescope was named after him.

Check every day to learn what happened "This Day in History."

• 1: 1801 - Italian Giuseppe Piazzi discovers Ceres, the first known (and largest) asteroid.
• 4 - 15: 1610 - Galileo Galilei points his newly developed telescope at the sky and observes craters and mountains on the Moon, moving spots on the Sun, four moons revolving around Jupiter, the phases of Venus, and the almost innumerable stars of the Milky Way.
• 17: 1997 - Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto, died.
• 27: 1967 - The crew of Apollo/Saturn 204 (more commonly known as Apollo 1 mission) perished in a fire.