At 8:38 a.m. on January 3, the Earth will orbit its perihelion, which is the closest time the Earth is to the Sun this year, that is, the "maximum Sun" in 2024.
Don't worry, there are still these "starry sky dramas" in the first month!
Quadrant meteor shower
January 4th
The quadrant meteor shower will usher in a maximum
Send a romantic greeting for the New Year
The active period of the quadrant meteor shower is:
December 28 to January 12 of the following year
Greatly expected to appear in
At around 5 p.m. Beijing time on January 4
Zenith flow is expected to reach 80 per hour
△Composite image taken a few hours before and after the Quadrant Meteor Shower Maximum on January 4, 2022. (Source: Beijing Planetarium official website)
However, due to the narrow peak
And in the second half of the night, there is also the interference of the second quarter moon
Observations may be affected
Twin stars with the moon
In the early hours of January 9
South-east before dawn
There is a waning moon and several bright stars to watch
To the north of the moon
It's the shining Venus
△In November 2021, Duchang County, Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province appeared "Venus Conjunction"
meantime
If you are in a location that is more open to the southwest
Try looking for Mercury to the left of the Moon
In addition, Antares will also appear nearby
Mercury's greatest western elongation
January 12th
Mercury will have its first greatest western elongation this year
It is the innermost planet in orbit in the solar system
Mercury is always next to the Sun as seen from Earth
It is a planet that is difficult to observe
△Data map (source: Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Before sunrise on January 12 or 13
Look southeast
See bright Venus first
At the bottom left of it is Mercury
Although Mercury is located at a great elongation
But the height is still very low
Not so easy to spot
It is advisable to find a place where there is no shelter in the east
Look carefully with the help of binoculars
Saturn conjunction
January 14th
The sky will be marked by the conjunction of Saturn and the Moon
△Data map (source: Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
At conjunction the Moon, the Moon and Saturn are not far apart
They can be found in the evening southwest sky
At that time, you will see a very thin crescent moon
Lean against Saturn above
It makes people feel the mystery and romance of the universe
Pleiades conjunct the Moon
On the evening of January 20
The famous Seven Sisters (Pleiades)
It will be conjunct a waxing gibbous moon
△Data map (source: Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
The Pleiades are one of the few throughout the day
One of the bright deep-sky objects visible to the naked eye
It is very noticeable in the night sky in winter
If the weather is nice
You will be expected to see it
This breathtaking astronomical phenomenon
Mercury conjunction Mars
In the early morning of January 28
Mercury is in close proximity to Mars
Binoculars will be able to take them down easily
Be careful, though
The ideal time is 6 a.m. on the 28th
The horizon height is relatively low
"Water Baby" Meets "Fire Baby"
Very rare
The next time Mercury is close to Mars
It will be until January 9, 2028
Source: CCTV news client