Sunrise   1st:    06.18      30th:    07.09

Sunset    1st:    19.57      30th:    18.47

Astronomical darkness    1st:  22.09  to  04.08     30th:  20.44  to  05.13

The Autumnal Equinox, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, is on 22nd at 14.30.  However, despite the name meaning equal night, we do not have a 12 hour day and night at this time.  The day is actually 12hrs 11minutes 14 seconds long.  The difference is partly because of refraction of sunlight by our atmosphere, so we can see the Sun for a few minutes before it rises and for a few minutes after it sets. This adds about 6 minutes to the day length.  The rest of the difference is because, on this day, the centre of the Sun is above the horizon for 12 hours but sunrise is the time when the upper edge becomes visible, which is slightly later, and sunset is when it sinks below the horizon, a few minutes after the centre does so.

The day which is closest to 12 hours is the 25th at 11hr 58mins 30 seconds.

Full Moon:   2nd at 06.22       New Moon: 17th at 12.00

Lunar apogee:     6th  at  06.32  (405605km)

Lunar perigee:   18th  at  14.45  (359080km)

The new Moon is the day before perigee, so the waxing crescent will appear slightly larger than average.

September's full Moon is known, according to the Farmers' Almanac, as the Corn Moon or Barley Moon,  the Celtic names are the Singing Moon or Blood Moon, the Chinese call it the Chrysanthemum Moon, to the Cherokee it's the Nut Moon and for the Chocktaw, the Mulberry Moon.  The Dakota Sioux have what must be one of the best of all the full Moon names - the Moon when the calves grow hair.

This year's September full Moon isn't the Harvest Moon.  That will be in October as it is closer to the Autumnal Equinox.

As always in September, one of the main highlights for astronomers is the lack of light.  On the night of 1st/2nd we have just one minute short of 6 hours, increasing to almost eight and a half hours by month end.  Venus is still shining brightly in the morning sky, and Jupiter in the evening, albeit very low.  Mars is brightening rapidly as it gets closer to us and is much higher in the sky, so easier to see, and they all have some close visits from the Moon.

We don't have much in the way of meteor showers but could see some fireballs later in the month, and, unless something new turns up, no bright comets. 

But all those who believe in a****logy, beware!   Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are all retrograde for part of the month, and Uranus and Neptune, plus dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto and Eris, for the whole of September.  For a couple of days towards the middle of the month, all of them appear to move from east to west across the sky.   

Mercury:  in Leo, mag -0.6

An evening object, very low so hardly visible this month.  On 1st, it is on the horizon at dusk, setting only 35 minutes after the Sun.  It moves into Virgo on 3rd, and on 9th reaches its highest point in the evening sky - still only 4 degrees in the east at sunset and just below the horizon as the sky darkens.  On 18th, the one day old Moon passes 6 degrees 25' north of the planet at 22.53, an hour after it has set.  It will now be at mag -0.1, very low at sunset, setting less than half an hour later.  It reaches perihelion on 19th, at a distance of 0.47AU.  On 30th, now at mag zero, it is 2 degrees below the horizon as the sky begins to darken.

Venus:  in Gemini, mag -4.2

Now fading slightly but still brilliant in the morning sky, starting the month a little to the south of Castor and Pollux.  On 1st it rises at 02.09 and should be easily visible from around 03.15, reaching 31 degrees in the east before the sky brightens. It is in Cancer from the 5th and is at its highest point in the morning sky on 7th, when it is at 35 degrees at sunrise.  From 11th to 15th it is to the south of the Beehive cluster.  On 14th the 13% Moon passes north of Venus, closest, 4 degrees 21', in daylight at 07.23.  The pair should be visible before dawn, with the Beehive between them.   All three should be in the same field of view of 10 x 50 binoculars. The planet moves into Leo on 23rd, when it rises at 02.52 and reaches 30 degrees in the east by dawn.  On 30th it rises at 03.10, still getting to 30 degrees before the sky brightens. 

Mars:  in Pisces, mag -1.8

Visible for much of the night, brightening as it gets closer to Earth, its red colour now very obvious.  On 1st it rises at 21.31 and reaches 43 degrees in the south by 04.14.  On 6th, at 05.44, the 85% Moon passes only a couple of arcminutes north of the planet.  Observers in some parts of Central and South America, West Africa and southern Europe will see an occultation.  From 10th, Mars is retrograde, moving across the sky from east to west.  Of course, it doesn't actually change direction, it's a visual effect caused by the Earth appearing to overtake the outer planet as it approaches opposition. On 30th it rises at 19.29 and culminates at 02.11, now at 42 degrees in the south.  Much brighter at mag -2.5, it is now outshining Jupiter.

Jupiter:  in Sagittarius, mag -2.6

Now an early evening object, still very bright but very low.  On 1st it should be visible from around 20.20, 13 degrees above the southern horizon.  It culminates at 21.59, not much higher, and sets at 01.30.  For the last few weeks it's apparent movement across the sky has been from east to west - retrograde -  but from 13th it reverts to prograde motion, west to east.  On the evening of 24th the 62% Moon will be 7 degrees SW of the planet as it culminates at 20.08. They are closest, 1 degree 35', at 07.57 on 25th, and at 20.00 that evening the now 68% Moon will be 7 degrees to the SE.  On 30th Jupiter culminates only an hour before sunset and will be at 13 degrees in the south as the sky darkens, setting at 23.34.  Now at mag -2.4 it is slightly fainter than Mars.

Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.3

Close to Jupiter in the sky, slightly higher but much fainter.  On 1st it should be visible, 12 degrees in the SE, around 20.40 and reaches its highest point, 15 degrees in the south, at 22.18.  On 25th the 68% Moon is just 2 degrees 18' to the south at 22.06, with Saturn at around 10 degrees in the SW.  The pair should be visible from 20.00, with Jupiter also close by.  Saturn is also currently retrograde, reverting to prograde motion on 29th.  It ends the month 7.4 degrees east of Jupiter, culminating at 20.18, 15 degrees above the southern horizon, down to mag 0.5 and setting at 00.19.

Uranus:  in Aries, mag 5.7

On 1st it rises at 21.29 and  and should be high enough to be visible from midnight.  It culminates, 50 degrees in the south, a few minutes after the sky begins to brighten. On 30th it reaches 21 degrees in the east by 22.00 culminating at 03.02 and down to 39 degrees in the SW by dawn.  It should be an easy binocular target, given clear skies, maybe even naked eye from a very dark sky site.

Neptune:   in Aquarius,  mag 7.8

Much fainter, and lower in the sky, than Uranus but well positioned for telescopic observation.  On 1st it is at 21 degrees in the SE by 23.00 and culminates, 31 degrees in the south, at 01.50.  It is at opposition on 11th, when it reaches its highest point at 01.10.  On 30th it culminates at 23.50, still at 31 degrees and will be reasonably high until 02.30, when it is down to 21 degrees in the SE.  May be visible in good binoculars from a dark sky site, and is an easy target for amateur scopes. 

Ceres:  in Aquarius, mag 7.9

Above the horizon for much of the night but low, so not an easy target.  On 1st it culminates at 01.15, only 12 degrees above the southern horizon, and sets at 04.56.  It moves into  Piscis Austrinus on 15th and on 30th, down to mag 8.2. culminates at 22.59 and sets at 02.31.

Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 15.1

Too low for successful imaging, max 13 degrees above the horizon.

Haumea:  in Bootes, mag 17.4

Now getting very low in the sky.  On 1st it may be high enough for imaging, 23 degrees in the west, for a short time around 21.30.  After the first week it is too low by the time the sky gets dark.

Makemake:  in Coma Berenices, mag 17.3

Appears very close to the Sun this month.  It is at solar conjunction on 29th when, because of its highly inclined orbit, it passes 27 degrees north of the Sun.

Eris:  in Cetus, mag 18.8

Quite high in the sky but much too faint for most amateur astrophotographers to attempt.  However, it is in conjunction with Mars twice this month, on 1st when the red planet is 7 degrees 58' to the north at 04.14, and on 19th when they are slightly further apart, 8 degrees 09', at 03.03.  This happens because Mars is retrograde from 10th and passes Eris once in each direction. So, if you look at Mars at these times, you can work out exactly where Eris is - even though you can't see it.

19 Fortuna is at opposition on 11th.  It starts the month at mag 9.8 in Pisces, culminating, 31 degrees in the south, at 01.31.  By 11th it has brightened to mag 9.4 and reaches its highest point, 34 degrees, at 01.04.  It moves into Aquarius on 21st and on 30th, faded to mag 9.9, reaches 32 degrees in the south at 23.31.

68 Leto is at opposition on 30th. On 1st it is at mag 10.2 in Cetus, reaching its highest point, 32 degrees, at 03.28. On 30th it is at mag 9.6, culminating at 01.13, now at 31 degrees in the south.

Not much happening this month. There are a few comets around but they are all very low, very faint, or both.

C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) and C/2019 T2 (PanSTARRS) are getting very faint and very low in the sky after sunset.

88P/Howell is much brighter, predicted mag around 8.8, but again very low - 13 degrees at dusk in early September, down to 10 degrees by the end of the month.

C/2019 U6 (Lemmon) is high in the evening sky, but extremely faint, predicted mag on 1st, when it is 36 degrees in the west at dusk, is 12.3.  On 30th it is higher, 42 degrees, as the sky fades but much fainter at mag 14.5.

For more information and exact positions of any Solar System objects see

www.cometwatch.co.uk again hasn't been updated for a couple of months.

After last month's Perseids, which most of us missed because of cloudy skies, we only have a few very minor showers this month.

September Epsilon Perseids: active 5th to 21st, peak 9th,  ZHR 5. The radiant of these very slow meteors is closer to Algol than it is to epsilon Persei.  It's circumpolar, highest at 05.00 so the shower is best seen just before dawn.

Alpha Aurigids: active until Sept 5th, peak on August 31st,  ZHR 6.  These very bright meteors are best seen just before dawn, unfortunately the almost full Moon doesn't set until just before 5am, as astro twilight ends, on the morning of 1st.  Parent comet is C/1911/Kiess.

Piscids:  active throughout Sept, ZHR 5 (more likely 2 from light polluted Manchester skies).  Not much is known about this shower of very slow moving meteors. It is thought by some to be 2 separate showers, the Northern and Southern Piscids, one having a peak on Sept 9th, the other on 21st.  Or it could be one shower with low activity throughout September and a diffuse peak from 9th to 21st.

Daytime Sextantids: active Sept 9th to October 9th, peak Sept 27th, ZHR 5. As the name says, this shower is mainly active in the daytime, however a few may be spotted visually just before dawn around the time of the peak. 

Southern Taurids, active from Sept 10th. These don't peak until October, ZHR rarely more than 5, but worth looking out for as the shower often includes many fireballs.

Sunrise       1st:  05.25         31st:  06.17

Sunset        1st:  21.05         31st:  20.00

Astronomical darkness

1st:   00.33 to 01.57       31st:  22.13 to 04.05

Day length   1st:  15.38.45        31st:  13.42.56

Full Moon:  3rd at 16.58     New Moon:  19th at 03.41

Lunar apogee:   9th at 10.52  (404657 km)

Lunar perigee:  21st at 11.00  (363512 km)

August's Full Moon is known as the Sturgeon Moon because this is the time when they were plentiful in the lakes where the Algonquin fished.  Other Native American tribes had different names - to the Sioux it was the Moon When All Things Ripen, the Chocktaw called it the Women's Moon, for the Cherokee it was the Fruit Moon and for many other tribes it was the Red Moon, as it often took on a reddish hue when seen through the summer haze. Other names are the Green Corn Moon,  the Barley Moon, the Old English / Anglo Saxon Grain Moon, the Chinese Harvest Moon and the Celtic Dispute Moon.

Astronomical darkness increases considerably during August, on 1st we have 1 hour 24 minutes, increasing to almost 6 hours by the end of the month.  Venus is still shining brightly in the morning sky and Jupiter and Saturn are visible before midnight, unfortunately still very low.  Mars rises a little later but gets much higher in the morning sky. Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is fading rapidly and is now very low at dusk.  Two more faint comets are in the same area of sky,  one of them is now getting higher, all end the month at around mag 10.

The main highlight, as in every August, is the Perseid meteor shower, marred again this year by the Moon rising around midnight.

Mercury:  in Gemini, mag -0.9

Not easy to see this month, on 1st it rises at 03.51 but is only 6 degrees above the horizon when the sky begins to brighten. It moves into Cancer on  5th and reaches perihelion on 6th.  At this time, because of its highly elliptical orbit, it gets twice as much heat and light from the Sun than it does when it's at its furthest point.  On this day it rises at 03.51 but is still only 11 degrees by dawn. On 17th it reaches superior conjunction, on the opposite side of the Sun to the Earth.  Around this time it is at mag -2.0, but much too close to the Sun to be seen - only 1 degree 45' to the north at its closest.  It then becomes an evening object, still too low to be visible.  On 31st it sets at 20.24 and is just below the horizon at dusk.   

Venus:  in Taurus, mag -4.4

Fades slightly during the month but is still unmissable in the morning sky, getting slightly higher before the sky is too bright. On 1st it rises at 02.05 and should be easily visible an hour later, reaching 23 degrees in the east by dawn.  On 6th it moves into Orion and on 14th reaches greatest western elongation, separated from the Sun by 46 degrees. On this day it rises at 01.58 and gets to 27 degrees before the sky brightens. On 14th it crosses the border into Gemini and the following day is close to the 15% lit Moon.  At 5am the planet is 5.5 degrees to the SE, they are closest at 13.44, when the Moon passes 4 degrees to the north.  On 31st Venus is at mag -4.2, rising at 02.08 and reaching 30 degrees in reasonable darkness.

Mars:  in Pisces,  mag 1.1

Still improving in both brightness and position.  On 1st it rises at 23.14 and is at 23 degrees in the south when dawn breaks. It is at perihelion on 3rd, when its distance from the Sun is 1.38 AU.  At this time it gets 31% more radiation from the Sun than at aphelion.  On 9th the 73% Moon passes south of Mars, as the sky brightens they are 3 degrees apart, with Mars 41 degrees above the southern horizon. They are closest, in daylight, at 09.38 when the Moon is 41' to the south.  On 31st it rises at 21.34 and reaches its highest point, 43 degrees, at 04.18.  It will now be at mag -1.8.

Jupiter: In Sagittarius, mag -2.7

Still very bright, so should be easily visible despite its low altitude. On 1st it rises at 20.02 and culminates at 23.52,  only 14 degrees above the southern horizon.  On 2nd at 00.32 the almost full Moon passes 1 degree 3' to the south. The pair should be visible from around 21.30 on the night of 1st/2nd.  They are again close on the 28th/29th, at 22.00 the 83% Moon is 3.5 degrees to the SW.  They get closer during the night but are at their closest, 1 degree 24', after Jupiter has set for Manchester observers.  By 31st it is slightly fainter at mag -2.6, and is at 14 degrees in the south as the sky darkens, culminating at 21.43, only a couple of degrees higher.  Observers with a decent pair of binoculars and a clear southern horizon should be able to see the planet's disc and maybe the 4 Galilean moons.

Saturn:  in Sagittarius, mag 0.1

Now about 7.5 degrees to the east of Jupiter, much fainter but slightly higher than the larger planet.  On 1st Saturn rises at 20.24 and should be visible soon after 22.00, when it reaches 10 degrees in the SE.  It culminates at 00.28, at 15 degrees, and sets at 04.29.  On 2nd the 96% Moon passes 2 degrees 15' to the south at 14.29.  By 23.00 it will be 6 degrees SE of the planet.  On 29th the 87% Moon is 2 degrees 11' to the south at 17.59.  They should be visible soon after 22.00 when Saturn, now at its highest point, is 3 degrees 30' NW of the Moon.  On 31st Saturn rises at 18.21, culminating at 22.19 and setting at 02.21.  It will also have faded slightly, ending August at mag 0.3.

Uranus:  in Aries, mag 5.8

Visible in the early hours, its position improving during August.  On 1st it rises at 23.31 and reaches 32 degrees in the east by dawn.  On 31st it rises at 21.33 and gets to 50 degrees in the south by 04.45, as the sky begins to brighten.  As always, in order to see it with the naked eye, excellent eyesight and a very dark sky site are needed - as well as knowing exactly where to look.  It should be a fairly easy binocular target, again if you know where to look.  When seen through a scope the small disc has a greenish blue hue.

Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 7.8

Fainter and lower than Uranus but high enough for telescopic observation and imaging for much of the night, especially later in the month.  On 1st it rises at 22.14 and reaches 31 degrees in the south by 03.30.  On 31st it rises at 20.15 and culminates in astro darkness at 01.34, still at 31 degrees.  An amateur scope should show that the small disc is much bluer than that of Uranus.  A large telescope is needed to see the large moon Triton, at mag 13.5.

Ceres: in Aquarius, mag 8.1

The closest and largest of the 5 dwarf planets - by far the largest body in the asteroid belt, and the first to be discovered - is not easy to see this month, as it remains low, even at opposition.  On 1st it rises at 23.35 and culminates, 15 degrees in the south, at 03.42.  It is at opposition on 28th, slightly brighter at mag 7.7 but even lower.  It reaches its highest point, only 12 degrees, at 01.23.

Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 15.0

Despite being above the horizon for most of the night, it is still too low for imaging, reaching a maximum altitude of 14 degrees.

Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.4

On 1st it is briefly high enough for imaging from 23.00 to 23.45, when it will be at 27 degrees in the west, setting at 02.23.  By 31st it is only at a reasonable altitude for a few minutes around 21.30, setting at 00.24.

Makemake:  in Coma Berenices, mag 17.3

Very low this month.  On 1st it is at 22 degrees in the west as the sky darkens, setting at 02.03.   By 31st it is down to 19 degrees in darkness, setting soon after midnight.

Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.8

The cause of poor Pluto's demotion, appropriately named after the goddess of discord, is higher but very much fainter and therefore only a target for the most experienced astrophotographers using the very best equipment.  On 1st it rises at 00.20 and reaches 24 degrees in the SE by dawn. On 31st it rises at 22.18 and culminates, 35 degrees in the south, at 04.18, only a few minutes after the end of astro darkness.

C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) in Coma Berenices, mag 5.5  (maybe!)

Moving away from the Sun and fading rapidly, also very low in the evening sky - though, for a change this one did live up to expectations.  On 1st it is best seen for a few minutes after 23.00, when it is 22 degrees above the western horizon. It moves into Virgo on 10th, when it is only 17 degrees in the west at dusk, setting at 00.46.  It is in Bootes on 12th to 15th, then back into Virgo on 16th.  On 31st it is only 8 degrees above the horizon as the sky darkens, setting at 22.43.  Predicted mag now 10.3, but remember the advice given in in-the-sky.org - take all magnitude forecasts with a pinch of salt, as comets are very unpredictable.

C/2019 U6 (Lemmon)  in Coma Berenices, mag around 8

This one, discovered by the Mount Lemmon Sky Survey in Arizona last October, was originally thought to be an asteroid. It was confirmed as a comet in March 2020.  Unlike the other 2 comets in the area, its position improves during August as it moves north eastwards.  On 1st it is almost midway between Haumea and Makemeke, and only about 2 degrees from C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) .  It will be 21 degrees above the horizon at dusk, setting at 01.42. It moves into Bootes on 3rd, when it is at 23 degrees at 23.00, setting at 01.47.  By mid month it gets to 30 degrees and should be high enough for imaging for about an hour from 22.15, still setting around 2am.  By 31st it will have moved to about 6 degrees NW of Haumea and have faded to mag 10.  It will then be at 36 degrees in the west as the sky darkens around 21.30 and be reasonably high until just after 23.00, setting at 02.02.

C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) in Coma Berenices, mag 9.9

High enough for imaging in the first few days of the month.  On 1st it is 23 degrees above the western horizon around 11pm, setting just before 2am.  From then on, as Lemmon gets higher, this one gets lower. It moves into Bootes on 6th but is down to 21 degrees at dusk, setting at 01.26.  It is in Virgo from 24th, probably now around mag 10.5 and only 15 degrees in the west as the sky darkens.  On 31st, predicted mag 10.7, it's even lower, only 13 degrees, and sets at 23.06.

For more information, including position charts and exact co-ordinates of any Solar System object, see

For news about comets

www.cometwatch.co.uk   This has now been updated.

One really major shower this month.

Perseids, active July 17th to August 26th, peak on the 12th, between 14.00 and 17.00.  ZHR figure varies according to source used - somewhere between 50 and 150 from a dark sky site.  The radiant is circumpolar from Manchester, at its highest at 07.00, so the best time for viewing is just before dawn on 12th. It might also be worth looking after dusk on that day.  These are fast moving meteors, often leaving bright trails.  The third quarter Moon may interfere, rising at 23.41 on 11th and 00.03 on the morning of 13th. This shower occurs when the Earth passes through debris left in the wake of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle

There are also 2 very minor showers#

Kappa Cygnids:  active August 3rd to 25th.  This shower is said to be unpredictable as the dust cloud responsible is very diffuse.  The peak is given as 17th but could be as early as 12th or 14th, with a shorter period of activity.  ZHR 5, at best.  The radiant is circumpolar, highest at 22.00, so they are best seen as the sky darkens. The uncertainty of the timing of the paek of this shower means that it probably isn't worth going out especially to look for meteors but, if you happen to be observing on one of the possible peak evenings,you might just see one or two.  If there is a peak on 12th, they should be easily distinguishable from Perseids, as well as coming from a different direction, the Kappa Cygnids are much slower moving.  The parent body is not known for sure but could be minor planet 2008 ED9.

Aurigids:  August 28th to Sept 5th, peak August 31st, ZHR 6  The circumpolar radiant is highest at 09.00, so the best time to look is just before dawn on 31st. On the night of 30th/31st the 95% Moon rises at 19.30 and sets at 03.39 - less than half an hour before the end of astro darkness.  Parent comet for these is C/1911 Kiess.

Sunrise      1st:   04.44       31st:   05.23

Sunset       1st:   21.40       31st:   21.05

Astronomical darkness

1st:  none       31st:  00.43  to  01.47

None until the morning of 30th, when we have 32 minutes.

Day  length     1st:  16.55.35       31st:  15.42.11

Earth is at aphelion on 4th at 12.34, when it will be 1.02 AU from the Sun.

Full Moon:  5th at 05.44      New Moon:  20th at 18.32

Lunar apogee:   12th at 20.28   (404,200km)

Lunar perigee:   25th at 05.55   (368,366km)

The July full Moon is known as the Buck Moon, because this is the time that male deer start to grow new antlers.  Other names are the Thunder Moon, the Old English / Anglo Saxon Hay Moon and the medieval English Mead Moon. The Chinese name is the Hungry Ghost Moon, because of the Hungry Ghost Festival which was held at this time - when the veil between this world and the next was said to be thin, so spirits could move freely between the two.

At last we have the return of astro darkness, but only right at the end of the month.  On 5th there's another penumbral lunar eclipse, this time as the Moon is setting so, with a very clear sky and a low SW horizon, it might be possible to see a slight darkening at the top of the Moon's disc in the half hour before it sets at 04.42. 

Jupiter and Saturn both reach opposition this month, low in the southern sky, with Jupiter much brighter.  However Saturn's rings are at their best at this time. Mars is improving in both brightness and position, from mid month it is in the northern celestial hemisphere. Venus is also getting higher in the pre-dawn sky. 

There are a couple of minor meteor showers at the end of the month but both are better seen from further south.  However we could have some fireballs and there may be an outburst of the (usually almost non existent) July Draconids.  Once again we have a comet which may (or may not) be a naked eye object when it gets high enough in our Manchester sky to be visible. Unfortunately it fades rapidly as it gets higher in the sky.

And we still have the chance of seeing some noctilucent clouds. There have already been some good displays this year; they have been seen in Oregon, USA, which is about 10 degrees further south than Manchester. 

Mercury:  in Gemini, mag 5.7

Venus:  in Taurus, mag -4.5

Improving its position in the morning sky and, because it is so much brighter, much easier to see than Mercury even when very low.  On 1st it rises at 03.05  and reaches 8 degrees by dawn.  From 6th it passes through the V shaped Hyades cluster and on 8th is at its greatest brightness, only marginally brighter than at the start of the month.  On this day it rises at 03.05 and should be easily visible an hour later, as the sky begins to brighten. It is at aphelion (furthest from the Sun) on 10th, when its distance is 0.73 AU.  However, because its orbit is almost circular, there is very little difference between its nearest and furthest points.  On 11th it passes about 1 degree north of Aldebaran, 'the eye of the bull'.  Venus can't get quite as far south as the bright star - yet! On August 27th, in the year 5336 there will be an occultation. No idea whether this will be visible from Manchester - or even whether there will still be a Manchester at this time. On 17th the waning crescent Moon passes north of the planet, closest - 3 degrees 03' - at 07.06.  On 31st it rises at 02.06 slightly fainter at mag -4.4 and reaches 22 degrees by dawn.

Mars:  in Pisces, mag -0.5

Gets higher and brighter during the month.  On 1st it rises at 00.50 and is easily visible from around 2am until dawn, when it is at 24 degrees in the SE. It moves into Cetus on 9th and on the night of 11th/12th the gibbous Moon passes 1 degree 46' to the south, while they are still below the horizon.  They will be separated by 3 degrees 30' at 4am, when Mars will have reached 30 degrees in the SE.  Also around this time it crosses the celestial equator as it continues its northward journey.  On 17th it goes back into Pisces; it doesn't actually change direction at this time, it's just how the constellation borders lie. On this day it rises at 23.29  and is visible from 00.30, reaching 37 degrees in the south by dawn. By 31st it will be at mag -1.1, rising at 23.17 and reaching 38 degrees before the sky begins to brighten shortly before 05.00.

Jupiter:  in Sagittarius, mag -2.7

On 1st it rises at 22.15, reaching 8 degrees in the SE before midnight and culminating, 6 degrees higher, in the south at 02.14. On 5th, the just past full Moon passes 1 degree 05' south of the planet at 22.36.  They should be visible about an hour later when Jupiter is 7 degrees above the SE horizon. Highest point, 14 degrees, at 01.56 on 6th when the separation will be 3 degrees. It is at opposition, when it is directly opposite the Sun in the sky, on 14th.  On this day it rises at 21.16 and culminates at 01.16. It is at its brightest on the night of 16th/17th but, as it is only around 0.02 of a magnitude higher than on 1st, no one will notice. On 31st it rises at 20.06 and culminates just before midnight, still at only 14 degrees in the south.

Saturn:  in Capricorn, mag 0.2

Slightly higher but much fainter than the nearby Jupiter.  On 1st it rises at 22.31 and reaches 10 degrees in the SE by 02.39.  It joins Jupiter in Sagittarius on 4th and on 6th is also visited by the Moon, which is 6 degrees SW of Saturn at 2am, closest, 2 degrees 27' in daylight at 10.13.  It is at opposition on 20th, when it rises at 21.13 and reaches 15 degrees in the south at 01.19. The planet's northern hemisphere is currently tilted towards us, the rings are at an angle of 21 degrees and are a spectacular sight when seen through a telescope. Around opposition, when sunlight falls directly on to the planet from our point of view,the rings are noticeably brighter. This is because the shadows of the particles comprising them fall directly behind,  so they can't be seen and there isn't the usual dimming - more sunlight is reflected back towards us. This is known as the Opposition Surge, or Seeliger Effect after Hugo von Seeliger who, in 1887, first explained this and saw it as proof that the rings were not solid structures but were made up of lots (now thought to be billions) of individual particles.  On 31st Saturn rises at 10.38, reaches 10 degrees in the SE by 22.15 and culminates, 5 degrees higher, at 00.32.

Uranus:  in Aries, mag 5.8

A  morning object, not visible in early July.  On 1st it rises at 01.35 and is on the horizon at dawn. Its position improves during the month, on 14th it rises at 00.45 and reaches 13 degrees in the east as the sky brightens.  A week later it rises at 00.18 and is at 21 degrees by daybreak.  On 31st it rises at 23.35 and should be high enough to be seen soon after 2am, reaching an altitude of 31 degrees in reasonable darkness.  As always, excellent eyesight and a very dark sky site are necessary in order to see it with the naked eye.  For the rest of us binoculars are needed, or a scope to show the small blue/green disc.

Neptune:  in Aquarius, mag 7.9

Another one which isn't easy to see at the start of July. On 1st it rises at 00.20 and is only 11 degrees above the horizon by dawn. On 10th, at 03.00, the Moon passes 7 degrees SW of the planet, which will be 19 degrees above the horizon as the sky brightens.  From mid month it should be high enough in the still dark sky for telescopic observation. On 13th it rises at 23.29 and reaches 22 degrees in the SE before the sky begins to brighten.  On 31st it rises at 22.10 and almost reaches its highest point, 31 degrees, in the south in darkness.  A reasonable sized amateur scope should show the planet's disc, much bluer than Uranus, thought to be because the atmosphere has a higher concentration of methane, which absorbs light at the red end of the spectrum and reflects the blue.

Ceres:  in Aquarius, mag 8.6

The only one of the 5 which orbits in the (relatively) nearby asteroid belt, is very low this month.  On 1st it rises at 01.24 and on 31st at 23.29.  By this time it will have brightened to mag 8.1 but still be too low for telescopic observation.

The rest are very faint, distant and, because they take so long to orbit the Sun, move very slowly against the background stars. Their orbits are highly inclined to the plane of the solar system, so they are not necessarily found close to the ecliptic.  With the exception of Pluto, found in Feb 1930, their discovery was announced in a short period between late Dec 2004 and late May 2005. Of these 3, only Haumea is now in a different constellation, having crossed the border between Coma Berenices and Bootes in 2007.

Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 14.9.

Much too low for observing or imaging, as it will be for many years yet.  it is at opposition on 16th, less than 1 degree south of Jupiter.

Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.4, and Makemake in Coma Beenices, mag 17.1, are even further and fainter than Pluto but better bets for imaging as they are higher in the sky.  Haumea reaches 32 degrees in the west on 1st and 27 degrees on 31st.  Makemake is slightly lower at 2 degrees and 23 degrees respectively.

Eris: in Cetus, mag 18.5

Faintest and furthest of the 5 officially designated dwarf planets.  It is high enough for imaging by serious, experienced astrophotographers at the end of July. On 1st it rises at 00.24 and reaches 23 degrees in the east at 3am, a short time before the sky brightens.

Eris takes 558 years to orbit the Sun, but that's nothing compared to some distant objects.  Sedna, with a very eccentric orbit taking it from the outer reaches of the Kuiper Belt to the inner part of the, as yet hypothetical, Oort Cloud  has a period of around 11,000 years.  It's one of the bodies thought to be influenced by some distant, massive object, maybe planet 9.

A couple of asteroids are at opposition in July.

532 Herculina, in Sagittarius, mag 9.5

Reaches opposition on 3rd, when it culminates at 01.12, but is only 16 degrees above the horizon.

2 Pallas, in Sagitta, mag 9.6.

The second asteroid belt body to be discovered, and the third biggest, having 7% of the mass of the entire belt, is at opposition on 15th, when it is at 57 degrees in the south at 00.41. This has a similar magnitude to Herculina but should be much easier to observe, being so much higher - again, because of the inclination of its orbit.

C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) in Taurus, mag -0.3 (or less)

This was discovered on March 27th, when it was at mag 17. It was at one time predicted to reach -2.6 in early July, but now the highest estimate is -0.3.  other sources give it as mag 2 or 3, or maybe as low as 6.  All agree that it will fade rapidly during the month.

On 1st it rises at 02.32 but only reaches 3 degrees above the horizon by dawn. it is at perihelion on 3rd, when it moves into Auriga, rising at 02.55 and getting to 7 degrees in darkness.  It get higher in the morning sky but fades rapidly.  It becomes circumpolar on 8th when it will be at 14 degrees in the east as the sky begins to brighten. It moves into Lynx on 13th, when it should be visible fom around 22.30 to 04.00, reaching 15 degrees in the NE by dawn but down to mag 1.8 (or less). Crosses into Ursa Major on 18th, when it is at 19 degrees in the NW at 23.00, down to 13 degrees at 03.30. It ends the month in Coma Berenices, and should be visible, 22 degrees above the western horizon, for a short time after 23.00, much fainter now - highest estimate 5.5.

The home page of www.cometwatch.co.uk  has been updated to show images and a finder chart for this one.

C/2019 U6 (Lemmon) in Sextans, mag 5.5

Not visible from here until the latter part of July. It is moving  north eastwards but dimming as it gets higher. It passes through Leo and Virgo, still below our horizon at dusk,  and into Coma Berenices on 23rd, whe it will be at 13 degrees in darkness but fainter at a probable mag of around 7.1.  On 31st it is at 21 degrees in the west at dusk, setting at 01.39, predicted mag now 7.9.

C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Canes Venatici mag 9.3

Moving south westwards and fading, circumpolar for the first week in July, on 1st it is at 35 degrees in the west soon after midnight, down to 26 degrees in the NW at o 01.45. On 9th it sets for a short while and is at its highest, 32 degrees in the west, around midnight.  It is in Coma Berenices from 15th, when it will be at mag 9.5 and best seen for about an hour after midnight when it reaches 30 degrees in the west.  On 31st it is down to 24 degrees, best seen soon after 11pm, setting at 02.04, slightly fainter, predicted mag 9.9.

Websites used

www.cometwatch.co.uk has only updated its home page to give information on C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE).  The rest has not been changed since April, or even earlier.

A couple of minor showers at the end of the month, both favouring observers further south.

Southern Delta Aquarids, active July 12th to August 23rd, peak on the night of 28th/29th (or maybe 30th - sources fail to agree, yet again)  ZHR 25, but the radiant is very low as seen from Manchester, so expect far fewer.  These are faint, medium speed meteors with no trails and no fireballs.  Parent comet 96P/Machholz.

Alpha Capricornids, active July 3rd to August 15th, they have a plateau-like peak centred on 29th.  ZHR 5 but again fewer from our latitude.   Slow moving meteors but worth looking out for as as this shower often includes fireballs.  Parent comet 169P/NEAT.

There could be an outburst of the July Draconids on July 28th, around 01.30.  This shower usually shows very little activity, but the last time that Earth was in the same position realtive to the dust cloud, in 2016, a ZHR of aroud 100 was recorded.  The parent comet is unknown, probably one of the Jupiter family - comets which have had their orbits altered by a close encounter with the gas giant and now have a period of less than 20 years.

The radiant of the antihelion source moves through Capricorn into SW Aquarius during July.  The Capricornids have a radiant close by but should be easily distinguishable as meteors from the ANT are much faster moving.

Sunrise   1st:    05.33       31st:   04.47

Sunset:   1st:   20.39       31st:   21.26

Astro Darkness   1st:  23.28 to 02.42    31st:  none

Ends at 01.20 on the morning of 13th, then none until the end of July.

Day length  1st:  15.05.23     31st:  16.39.19

Full Moon:       7th  at 11.45

New Moon:     22nd  at 18.39

Lunar perigee:    6th at 04.03   (359654 km)

Lunar apogee:    18th at 08.44   (405583 km)

This month's full Moon occurs at a distance of 361184 km, making it a Supermoon.

May full Moon is known as the Flower Moon because so many blossom around this time.  Other names are the Corn Planting Moon and the Anglo Saxon/Old English Milk Moon.

After April's excitement of a possible naked eye comet, we're back to having not much to write home about this month.

The sky is much clearer because of the decrease in pollution (I wish the same could be said about light pollution) but to counteract that we lose astronomical darkness from mid month.  We are also losing Venus as it is getting much lower in the evening sky, though still very bright so visible until the last few days of the month.  Mars and Saturn are getting higher in the pre-dawn sky, as is the much brighter Jupiter.  The one major meteor shower is much better seen from the southern hemisphere and, as if that wasn't enough, will be affected by the presence of the almost full Moon.  Also only visible from further south is a newly discovered comet which again promises great things.

Constellations

As the sky darkens at the start of the month Lyra and Cygnus are rising in the north east, followed a couple of hours later by Aquila.  In the later part of the night the Summer Triangle formed by Vega, Deneb and Altair, the brightest star in each of these three constellations, should be easily visible. By the end of the month Aquila will be above the horizon by around 11pm. The brightest part of the Milky Way visible to us in the UK runs through the Summer Triangle and down through Scutum and Sagittarius.

The Plough is still very high in the sky for most of the night, standing on its handle, so Cassiopeia, the W shaped 'Lady in the Chair',  on the opposite side of the Pole Star is very low down in the north.

Bootes, the herdsman, is now riding high although only Arcturus, the brightest star in the celestial northern hemisphere, is above magnitude 2, so its kite asterism may not be easily visible in our light polluted skies. Arcturus is easy to find though - just follow the arc of the Plough's handle down to the south until you come to Arcturus.  Carry on the arc a bit further and you come to the star Spica, the brightest star in Virgo.

At this time of year when you look up to the south you are looking out of the plane of our Milky Way galaxy instead of along it like you do in winter and summer, so there aren't many bright stars, open star clusters and nebulae. However, if you've got a telescope this is a good time of year to hunt down globular clusters like M13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, and faint galaxies like the many galaxies lying in the bowl of Virgo and into Coma Berenices.

Mercury:  in Aries, mag -1.8

Not visible in early May, on 1st it is only 4 degrees from the Sun.  It reaches superior solar conjunction, when it is on the opposite side of the Sun to the Earth, on 4th, when it passes 6 minutes south of our star.  It then becomes an evening object but still not visible as it is so close to the Sun.  On 10th when it moves into Taurus it reaches perihelion, 0.31AU from the Sun, but still too close to the Sun to be visible.  Its position gets much better in the second half of May, on 15th it is 5 degrees above the horizon at dusk setting at 22.15 and now at mag -1.2.  It gets higher in the evening sky, moving closer to Venus which is now losing height.  They are at their closest - just under 1 degree - on 22nd at 08.44,  but stilll separated by only 1.3 degrees at 21.00, about 8 degrees above the horizon at dusk.  Mercury is to the south, now fainter at mag 0.7.  On 24th at 22.00 the Moon passes 5 degrees SE of the planet, with Venus also close by.  Mercury moves into Gemini on 30th, when it is at its highest point in the evening sky but still only 8 degrees at dusk.  On 31st it sets at 23.39.

Venus:  in Taurus, mag -4.5

Still shining brightly, high in the evening sky, at the start of the month.  On 1st it is at 27 degrees in the west around 21.00, setting at 00.51.  It gets lower during the month, by 14th it is down to 14 degrees as the sky darkens.  On 22nd it is at its closest to Mercury and on 24th the thin crescent Moon passes less than 4 degrees south of the planet, only 8 degrees in the NW at dusk.  By 29th it is only 2 degrees above the horizon as the sky darkens and on 31st appears only 6 degrees from the Sun.

Mars: in Capricorn, mag 0.4

On 1st it rises at 03.34 and reaches 7 degrees above the horizon as the sky begins to brighten.  Its position improves slightly during May, when it moves into Aquarius on 9th it is a degree higher by dawn.  On 15th, when it is at mag 0.2, the Moon passes about 2 and a half degrees to the south.  By month end  Mars is at mag zero, rising at 02.16 and getting to 10 degrees while the sky is still reasonably dark.

Jupiter:  in Sagittarius, mag -2.4

A morning object, still quite low in the sky but easy to spot because of its brightness.  On 1st it rises at 02.26 and reaches 13 degrees in the south by 05.00 as the sky begins to brighten.  On 12th the Moon passes south of the planet,  5 degrees separation at 5am and closest, 2 degrees 4', at 11.09.  On this day it rises at 01.44 and is at 14 degrees in the south by dawn.  On 14th it appears to change direction and moves from east to west across the sky - known as retrograde motion.  Of course it doesn't actually start going the other way, it's a similar effect to when a car passes a slower moving vehicle - when seen from the faster vehicle the other appears to go backwards for a short time.  It is near to Saturn throughout May, they start the month separated by 5 degrees, closest on 18th at just under 4.7 degrees, with Jupiter to the SW.  On 31st it rises at 00.20, slightly brighter at mag -2.6 and visible from around 2am.   It now reaches 18 degrees by dawn.

Saturn:  in Capricorn, mag 0.6

Slightly lower, and much fainter, than Jupiter in the morning sky but still a beautiful sight even through a small scope, with its rings at an angle of 20 degrees.  On 1st it rises at 02.39 and should be visible a couple of hours later, getting to 11 degrees in the SE by the time the sky begins to brighten.  From 11th its apparent motion is also retrograde.  The gibbous Moon passes to the south on 12th,  separated by 2 degrees 38' at 19.55 and by 5 degrees on the morning of 13th.  On 31st it is slightly brighter at mag 0.4, rising at 00.41 and reaching 15 degrees in the SE shorty before 4am as dawn breaks.

Uranus:  in Aries, mag 5.9

Not visible this month.  On 1st its apparent separation from the Sun is only 4 degrees. It moves away slighly during the month but is still below the horizon at dawn on 31st.

Neptune:  in Aquarius, mag 7.9

Again, not visible, still below the horizon as the sky begins to brighten throughout May.

Ceres:  in Aquarius, mag 5.2

The only dwarf palnet which orbits in the (relatively) close Asteroid Belt is still too low for imaging.  On 1st it rises less than an hour before the Sun.  On 31st it rises at 03.04 but still very close to the horizon as day breaks.   On this day, Mars lies about 8 degrees to the north.

The rest, lying in the Kuiper belt, are so distant and therefore faint that even at their best they are a challenge for the most experienced astrophotographers.

Pluto:  in Sagittarius, mag 15.1

Too low for imaging and, because it moves so slowly around the sky, will be for many years yet. 

Haumea in Bootes, mag 17.3, and Makemake in Coma Berenices, mag 17.2, are both high in the sky for most of the night so could be a possible imaging target for the ambitious.  Haumea reaches 52 degrees on 1st and 51 degrees on 31st,  Makemake gets to 60 degrees, falling to 51 degrees.

Eris:  in Cetus, mag 18.8

The most distant and faintest of the 5 officially recognised dwarf planets appears very close to the Sun this month.

On 24th at 10.00, asteroid Vesta passes 2 degrees west of the Moon.  Those watching from North America and parts of Europe (but unfortunately not from Manchester) will see an occultation.

C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) has not lived up to expactations - there's a surprise! Rather than becoming an unmissable naked eye object it has broken up into at least 4 fragments. They are in Camelopardalis, circumpolar and reasonably high throughout the night in early May.  It moves into Perseus on 13th, when it is much lower - around 14 degrees maximum, andon 25th dips below the horizon between 11pm and 2am.  It is in Taurus from 27th, when it appears only 12 degrees from the Sun.  Reaches perihelion on 30th.

The other ATLAS,  C/2019 Y1, mag 11.5, is also circumpolar and high enough for imaging throughout the night at the start of May. Moves into Camelopardalis on 3rd, Draco on 9th, and Ursa Major on 14th.  By 31st it is predicted to have faded to mag 14.5 and to be too low in the sky between midnight and 2am.

C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Camelopardalis, mag 8.9

Again circumpolar, high in the sky all night.  On 18th it briefly crosses the border into Draco then into Ursa Major the following day.  It should brighten slightly during the month, mag 8.8 from 6th to 24th then end the month back at 8.9.

Discovered on 28th March with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's SWAN camera.  Great things are predicted for this one. The bad news is that it is currently only visible from the southern hemisphere. It starts the month in Andromeda at around mag 8, moves into Perseus on 12th and Auriga on 31st.  On this day, from our latitude, it will be 12 degrees above the horizon at dusk - still too low for imaging.

For more details and exact positions of all solar system objects see

and for latest news on comets

Not a great deal going on this month - and what there is will be seriously marred by moonlight.

Eta Aquarids:  active April 19th to May 28th, peak on the night of 5th/6th. This shower is better seen from south of the equator, from here ZHR is around 10, at best.  These bright, fast moving meteors, ofetn leaving trails, are best seen just before dawn on the morning of 6th.  However the almost full Moon sets just before the Sun rises.  Parent comet 1P/Halley.

Eta Lyrids:  active 3rd to 14th, peak 8th.  ZHR 3. Best seen just before dawn and after dusk on 8th but again there will be significant moonlight interference. Parent comet C/1983 (IRAS-Araki-Alcock).

It is thought that there could be some activity at around 23.00 on May 14th, from debris left by near Earth object 461852 (2006 GY2).  These slow meteors have a radiant in Hercules.

The antihelion source has a radiant moving across northern Scorpio into Libra. ZHR 2, but could be double that towards the end of the month.

And finally: the second half of May is a good time for daytime showers, detectable only using radio or radar equipment.  Most prominent is the daytime Arietids, beginning on May 14th, though the peak is not until early June.

Sunrise      1st:    06.41          30th:     05.35

Sunset       1st:    19.45          30th:     20.37

Astronomical darkness    1st:  21.51  to  04.33        30th:  23.24  to  02.47

Day length   1st:  13.03.35       30th:  15.02.04

Full Moon:       8th at 03.35  (363511 km).    

New Moon:    23rd at 03.27  (403817 km)

Lunar perigee:    7th at 19.10    (356908 km)

Lunar apogee:  20th at 20 02    (406461 km)

 

April's full Moon is known as the Pink Moon because of the pink flowers which bloom at this time.  Other names are the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Fish Moon, the Hare Moon, and the Old English/Anglo Saxon Egg Moon or Paschal Moon.  This is the full Moon which is used to calculate the date of Easter.

We actually have some highlights this month - for those who have a dark garden to observe from.  Having to stay at home is not so good for those of us who have a street light outside the front garden and neighbours at the back who seem to leave their lights on all night.

Venus is still dominating the evening sky, reaching its brightest on 28th.  Jupiter, Mars and Saturn are all low in the SE in the morning, though only Jupiter is bright enough to really stand out.

This month's full Moon is is the biggest Supermoon of the year, occurring just under eight and a half hours after the year's closest perigee, and at last we have a promising meteor shower.  A newly discovered comet is brightening nicely and may become a naked eye object by month end.

We have Easter Sunday on 12th.  The astronomical connection is that it is the Sunday after the first full Moon on or after the Vernal Equinox, which is taken as 21st March even when, as this year, it actually falls on 20th. 

In case anyone is interested, the earliest date for Easter Sunday is March 22nd.  This is very rare - the last time was in 1818, the next won't be until 2285. The latest date, April 23rd, is more common, some people alive now might just manage to see one or 2 of these - last was in 1943, next in 2038.

And the sequence is not totally random:  it begins to repeat itself after 5,700,000 years.  If we still used the Julian calendar it would repeat after only 532 years!

Finally, April sees the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission, when a near tragedy became what many people consider to be NASA's greatest triumph.  It lifted off on 11th, at 13.13 local time - and we all know what happened 2 days later. 

Mercury:  in Aquarius, mag 0.00

A morning object but too low for observation.  On 1st it rises at 06.16 but is still below the horizon when the sky begins to brighten. Its position gets even worse during the month, it moves into Pisces on 10th, when it is at mag -0.2, and Aries on 29th, at mag -1.5. On 30th it rises at 05.32 but appears only 5 degrees from the Sun.

Venus:  in Taurus, mag -4.4

So bright that it can easily be seen through the window of a lighted room - assuming that it faces west. On 1st it is at 36 degrees soon after 20.00 and during the first few days of the month it passes south of the Pleiades.  It continues to brighten, reaching mag -4.5 by 10th, when it is slightly lower, 28 degrees at around 21.00.  On 26th the 3 day Moon passes south of the planet, closest, 6 degrees, at 16.23.  It reaches maximum brightness on 28th, when it is at mag -4.52, a little short of the maximum possible of -4.7.  On 30th, only marginally fainter, it sets at 00.52.

Mars:  in Capricorn, mag 0.8

Very low in the morning sky, rises about 2 hours before the Sun throughout April and doesn't get higher than 7 degrees above the horizon as the sky brightens.  On 1st it rises at 04.41.  On 16th the Moon passes south of the planet, separated by 3 degrees at 5am.   On 30th it rises at 03.37 and has brightened to mag 0.4.

Jupiter:  in Sagittarius, mag -2.2

Another morning object, much easier to see as it is slightly higher and much brighter than Mars. On 1st it rises at 04.16 and should reach 11 degrees in the SE before the sky begins to brighten a couple of hours later.  On 15th the 21 day Moon passes south of Jupiter, closest at 00.05 when they are below the horizon.   At 5am the Moon is between Jupiter and Saturn, with Jupiter 4 degrees NW of the Moon, Saturn 4 degrees NE.  On 30th Jupiter rises at 02.30 and should be easily visiible from around 03.50,slightly brighter at mag -2.4.

Saturn:  in Capricorn, mag 0.7

The third major planet currently low in the morning sky. On 1st it rises at 04.34 and only reaches 8 degrees in the SE by dawn. It improves slightly during April, on 15th when the Moon passes south of the planet, it will be at about 11 degrees as the sky brightens. The pair are closest, 2 degrees 27', in daylight at 10.18. On 30th it rises at 02.43, slightly brighter at mag 0.6, but still only gets to 11 degrees while the sky is reasonably dark.

Uranus:  in Aries, mag 5.9

Not visible this month.  On 1st it is only 6 degrees above the horizon at dusk.  Its apparent separation from the Sun decreases still further during the month as it approaches solar conjunction on 26th, only 26' at its closest.  On 30th it rises at 05.35,  just a couple of minutes before the Sun, and is separated from it by just 2 degrees.

Neptune: in Aquarius, mag 8.0

Still too close to the Sun to be visible.  On 1st it rises at 06.15 but is still 9 degrees below the horizon at dawn. On 30th it rises at 04.23, more than an hour before sunrise, but still fails to get above the horizon before the sky begins to brighten.

Ceres: in Capricorn, mag 9.3

The closest of the 5 dwarf planets, the only one which orbits in the Asteroid Belt, is still too low for telescopic viewing or imaging.  It moves into Aquarius on 9th and by month end rises a couple of hours before the Sun but is still very low in the brightening sky.

Pluto: in Sagittarius, mag 15.1

Still too low to be succesfully imaged which, because it moves so slowly round the sky, it will be for many years yet.

Haumea, in Bootes at mag 17.3, and Makemeke, in Coma Berenices at mag 17.2 are much higher, therefore better targets for the most experienced astrophotographers. Because their orbits are very inclined to the ecliptic (28 degrees and 29 degrees respectively) these can be found quite far from the ecliptic. Haumea reaches opposition on 16th, when it will be 52 degrees above the southern horizon at 01.52.  Makemake culminates slightly higher, 60 degrees, throughout the month.  Both will be high in the sky for much of the night.

Eris:  in Cetus, mag 18.8

The most distant of the 5 officially recognised dwarf planets, the largest known solar system object which has never been visited by a spacecraft, appears too close to the Sun this month.

Asteroid 3 Juno, the third to be discovered but only the 13th in order of size, reaches opposition on 3rd.  It's in Virgo, mag 9.7.  On this night it culminates at 01.26, at 38 degrees in the South.

C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) in Camelopardalis, mag 8.7.

Discovered in December 2019, this one is looking very promising.  It has been brightening rapidly recently and is predicted to reach naked eye brightness by late April.  It is a long period comet with a similar orbit to the Great Comet of 1844 so it is thought that it could be another fragment of the same parent body.

Will it live up to its promise?

Will it become another Great Comet?

We can but hope.

At the moment it is circumpolar, close to the north celestial pole so reasonably high in the sky throughout the night. If it continues to brighten at the current rate it could end the month at mag 4.4.  It should be visible until late May when, if it behaves as predicted, could have reached mag -3.7.  Current estimates give the peak brightness as -5.5.  The bad news is that this is in early June, when it will be below the horizon in darkness from our latitude.

For anyone who wants to try their luck at imaging it while it's still quite faint, exact co-ordinates for each night are given in https://in-the-sky.org/ephemeris.

C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Cassiopeia, mag 9.1

Again circumpolar, so above the horizon all night.  Moves into Camelopardalis on 11th. This one is also predicted to brighten during April but nowhere near as much - estimated mag for 30th is 8.9

C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS)

Another circumpolar one, but this is fading not brightening. It starts the month in Andromeda at mag 9.0, then moves into Cassiopeia on 2nd.  Not as high in the sky as the others but still reasonably so for much of the night.  In Cepheus from 26th, when it will have faded, probably to around mag 10.9.  Finishes the month at mag 11.3.

Recommended sites for exact positions, finder charts, and more information on all Solar System objects

And for comet news

One reasonable shower this month.

Lyrids, active 14th to 30th (or maybe only till 25th - even the IMO doesn't always agree with itself)  ZHR 18, but usually also quite good on the nights before and after the peak. The shower occasionally shows much higher rates - in 1982 a ZHR of 90 was recorded, but nothing like that is predicted for this year.

It's likely that this shower was very much stronger in the past, in 687AD Chinese astronomers reported that meteors fell like rain.  These are medium speed meteors, usually without trails, but the shower could include some fireballs. They are best seen in the early hours.

The parent comet is C/1810 Thatcher, last seen in 1861, next return 2276.

The good news is that the peak is just before New Moon, so no interference.

Not much in the way of minor showers, at least not for those of us living in the northern hemisphere.

The southern hemisphere has the pi Puppids, active 15th to 28th, peak 23rd, ZHR variable.

Here, we may see a few meteors from the antehelion source, the radiant of which moves from SE Virgo into Libra during April.

It is also thought that there could be some activity in the early hours of 24th from the alpha Virginids. The radiant of these is far enough from that of the ANT for it to be considered a separate shower.  Parent body is minor planet 2010 GE35.

Sunrise     1st:  06.55      31st:  06.43

Sunset      1st:  17.47      31st:  19.43

Astronomical Darkness   1st:  19.43  to  04.57     31st:  21.48  to  04.36

Day length   1st:  10hrs 51' 43"       31st:  12hrs 59' 20" 

The vernal (spring) equinox, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator as it moves northwards, is on Friday 20th at 03.29.  However, despite the name meaning equal night, this day is 12hrs 12' 31" long.  It is the time between the centre of the Sun rising and setting which is 12 hrs, whereas sunrise and sunset are the times when the top edge of the Sun appears and disappears.

BST begins on Sunday 29th at 1am.

Full Moon:  9th at 17.47     New Moon:   24th at 09.28

Lunar perigee:   10th at 06.34   (357,122 km)

Lunar apogee:   24th at 15.24   (406,689 km) 

This full moon occurs less than 13 hours before lunar perigee and the Earth Moon distance is 357,122 km, which makes it a Supermoon.  It is only slightly closer that February's full Moon, so won't appear all that much bigger.

March full Moon is known as the Worm Moon because the frozen ground is said to thaw at this time, allowing worms to burrow out.  Other names are the Lenten Moon,  Chaste Moon, Sap Moon and Crow Moon.

The main highlight is Venus, which is shining brightly, high in the early evening sky throughout March.  The rest of the naked eye planets are morning objects but very low in the pre dawn sky as seen from our latitude.  There is still quite a bit of astronomical darkness in the early part of the month - 9hrs 14 minutes on the night of 1st/2nd but down to 6hrs 48 mins at month end, when it doesn't begin until a few minutes before 10pm.  There are no bright comets and no meteor showers.

And, worst of all, from the end of the month we all have to do everything an hour earlier as BST is forced on us for the next 7 months.

Constellations

We are now losing the winter highlights of Orion, Sirius and Taurus soon after midnight, though they are still prominent in the south in the early part of the night.
Auriga, with the bright yellowish-white star Capella, is now overhead soon after sunset, with Gemini and Leo also prominent. The not very obvious zodiac constellation, Cancer, is now well placed. The Plough is overhead by midnight, the handle pointing to the orange hued Arcturus, the brightest star north of the celestial equator, in the constellation of Bootes. By the end of March the Summer Triangle will be above the horizon soon after 2am - or by 1am if you've forgotten to put the clock forward.

Mercury:  in Aquarius, mag 3.7

Now a morning object but barely visible as it is so low in the sky throughout March.  On 1st it rises at 06.20 and is still below the horizon at dawn. It moves into Capricorn on 8th and back into Aquarius on 11th.  On 21st the 8% Moon passes about 8 degrees from the planet but the pair are only 1 degree above the horizon as the sky brightens.  By this time it has brightened to mag 0.2.  It reaches greatest eastern elongation, 27.8 degrees from the Sun, on 23rd when it rises at 05.28 but, because of the shallow angle of the ecliptic, is still too low to be seen.  On 31st it rises at 06.17, is at mag 0.0 but 2 degrees below the horizon at dawn.

Venus:  in Pisces,  mag -4.2

Unmissable in the SW sky on cloudless evenings, even from light polluted areas. Observers with a clear horizon should be able to view it in astronomical darkness for about an hour.  On 1st it should be seen soon after 18.00, when it is 33 degrees above the horizon, setting at 22.05. It moves into Aries on 5th and from 7th to 9th passes north of Uranus, closest on 9th at 14.36 when they are separated by only 2 degrees 24'  They should be visible from around 20.00.  Venus is at perihelion on 20th, when it is at a distance of 0.72 AU from the Sun. On 24th, when it has brightened to mag -4.4, it reaches its highest point in the evening sky - 40 degrees in the SW at sunset. On this day it is also at greatest eastern elongation with an apparent separation from the Sun of 46 degrees. On 28th the crescent Moon passes south of the planet, closest in daylight at 10.37.  The pair will be visible in twilight from around 18.50.  The Pleiades are also close by.  On 31st Venus moves into Taurus, it will be 36 degrees above the western horizon at 20.00, visible till around 23.15 and setting at 00.31. 

The other 3 naked eye planets are close together in the pre dawn sky but very low when seen from our latitude. 

Mars: in Sagittarius, mag 1.1

On 1st it rises at 04.30 and reaches 8 degrees in the SE by dawn. On this day it is about 10 degrees west of Jupiter.  It is movig eastwards closing in on the gas giant, on 18th the crescent Moon passes to the right of the pair. On 20th Mars is only 42 arcminutes south of Jupiter at 10.35.  They may be seen, about 10 degrees above the SE horizon as the sky begins to brighten.  On 23rd Mars passes only 2 arcminutes SW of Pluto between 04.30 and 05.30.  The two, especially Pluto, will be very difficult to image, even for expert astrophotographers, as they are so low. By the end of the month Mars has moved close to Saturn, separated by less than one degree at 18.25 but only 8 degrees above the horizon as the sky begins to brighten.  On this day Mars rises at 04.43, is at mag 0.8 and has crossed the border into Capricorn.

Jupiter:  in Sagittarius,  mag -2.0

Rises on 1st at 05.02 and may be visible for a short time around 06.30 when it is at 8 degrees in the SE.  Starts the month midway between Mars and Saturn, easily the brightest of the three. On 18th, Mars and the crescent Moon are close to Jupiter, rising around 04.00.  On 31st it rises at 04.19 (BST), brighter at mag -2.2 and reaches 11 degrees in the SE by dawn.

Saturn: in Sagittarius, mag 0.7

Again, very low in the morning sky, not as easy to see as Jupiter because it is quite a bit fainter.   On 1st it rises at 05.28 and is only 4 degrees above the horizon by dawn. On the morning of 19th the 22% Moon passes 4 degrees SE of the planet.  It moves into Capricorn on 22nd when it rises at 04.11 and gets to 7 degrees by dawn.  On 31st it rises at  04.37 and reaches 8 degrees as the sky brightens.  On this day it is very close to the slightly fainter, much redder Mars.

Uranus:  in Aries, mag 5.9

Visible through binoculars in the early evening during the first half of  the month.  On 1st it is 31 degrees in the SW as the sky darkens around 19.00 and should be visible until 20.15.  On 7th, 8th and 9th it is in the same binocular field of view as Venus.  By 14th it is only 21 degrees in the west at dusk, setting at 22.00.  By 31st it is too low to see easily - only 7 degrees at dusk, and sets at 21.58.

Neptune:  in Aquarius, mag 8.0

Appears too close too the Sun to be seen this month.  It is in conjunction with the Sun on 8th, separated by only one degree.  By month end it rises at 06.19 but is only 21 degrees from the Sun, too close for telescopic observation.

Ceres:  in Capricorn, mag 9.3

Another one which is too low in the morning sky to be visible.  On 1st it rises only 10 minutes before the Sun,  Not much better on 31st, only 35 minutes before sunrise.

Pluto:  in Sagittarius, mag 15.1

Still much too low for telescopic observing or imaging.  On 1st it rises at 05.24, on 23rd & 24th it is less than 1 degree from Mars but only reaching 7 degrees above the horizon by dawn.  On 31st it rises at 04.28.

Haumea:  in Bootes, mag 17.3

High enough for imaging for most of the night during March. On 1st it rises at 20.16, reaches 21 degrees in the east by 23.00 and is at its highest point,  52 degrees in the south, at 03.56.  On 31st it rises at 19.15, is at 22 degrees in the east at 21.53 and culminates at 21.53.  Throughout March it is still high in the sky as dawn breaks.

 

Makemake:  in Coma Berenices, mag 17.2

Also well placed in March. On 1st it rises at 18.10 and is high enough for imaging from around 21.00.  It is at its highest point, 60 degrees, at 02.43. 

It is at opposition on 26th, when it culminates at 01.03.  on 31st it is at 30 degrees in the east as the sky darkens, 60 degrees in the south at 01.43 and 40 degrees in the west at dawn.

Eris:  in Cetus, mag 18.6

Too low for imaging this month.

Asteroid 27 Euterpe, in Virgo, is at opposition on 18th.  Starts the month at mag 9.7, rising at 19.05 and culminating, 39 degrees in the south, at 01.32.  On 18th it culminates at 00.09, a couple of degrees higher and slightly brighter at mag 9.4.  It moves into Leo on 26th and on 31st, back at mag 9.7, reaches its highest point at 00.06, now at 42 degrees in the south.

C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) in Cassiopeia, mag 9.3

Circumpolar, moving north westwards along the side of the W asterism. On 1st it is highest at dusk, 61 degrees in the NW at 19.05 and 27 degrees in the north by dawn.  On 31st it is close to Polaris, so reasonably high throughot the night.  It is predicted that it will have brightened slightly.

C/2018 N2 (ASSASSN) in Andromeda is also circumpolar but much fainter around mag 12.7 and fading.

C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS) in Pegsus, mag 11.3.  Too low for imaging until the end of March, it moves into Andromeda on 18th and becomes circumpolar on 23rd. On 31st it reaches 24 degrees in the NE just before dawn.

For more information and exact positions of all solar system objects see:

and, for comet news  www.cometwatch.co.uk

March is a very poor month for meteor watchers in the northern hemisphere.  Observers south of the equator might see a few Gamma Normids, active Feb 25th to March 28th, peak 14th, ZHR 6.  For those of us further north there are no showers, even sporadic activity is usually low at this time.  We might be able to see the occasional meteor from the Antihelion Source - these are meteors not belonging to any recognised shower, which have their radiant on the ecliptic, opposite the position of the Sun.  In March the radiant moves through southern Virgo and has a ZHR of 3.

Sunrise.       1st:     07.54          29th:     06.58

Sunset.        1st:     16.50          29th:     17.45

Astronomical darkness:   1st:  18.51  to  05.52       29th:  19.41  to  04.59

Day length,  1st:  08. 55. 41         29th:  10.47.30

Full Moon:  9th at 07.33      New Moon:  23rd at 15.32

Lunar perigee:   10th at 20.22  (360463 km)

Lunar apogee:   26th at 11.36  (406276 km) 

This month's full Moon is the 4th largest of the year but it may or may not be a Supermoon, depending on which definition you use. Some say that any full Moon near the Lunar perigee, which this one is, qualifies.  Other definitions are any full Moon occurring at a distance of 360,000 km or less, or  those which are 90% or more of the Moon's maximum size, (a distance of 361,885 km or less).  February's full Moon, at a distance of 362,472 km, doesn't meet either of these criteria.

The February full Moon is known as the Snow Moon.  Other names are the Hunger Moon, the Medieval English Storm Moon and the Chinese Budding Moon.

Venus is shining brightly, a magnificent sight in the evening sky, Mercury has its best evening showing of the year in the second week of the month, but the rest of the naked eye planets are very low in the pre-dawn sky.  Two newly discovered comets are predicted to get no brighter than mag 10 and 15, and we have no meteor showers visible from the Northern Hemisphere.  We do still have a reasonable amount of astronomical darkness - 11 hours at the start of February and about 9 and a quarter at month end.  However, by the end of the month it doesn't begin until 19.41, well after the start of HPAG meetings.

And, if clouds don't spoil our view of the night sky, the ever increasing number of Starlink satellites will probably manage to do the job.

Constellations

Orion and Taurus are now above the horizon as the sky darkens but start to set at around 2am at the start of February and soon after midnight by the end of the month. Gemini and Auriga are still prominent, remaining above the horizon until the early hours. Leo, the signpost constellation of Spring, is now high in the sky for most of the night and Bootes, with it's bright red star Arcturus is rising soon after 11, and around 9 at month end. In the early part of the evening the Plough is low in the North East standing on its 'handle', and Cassiopeia high in the North West as darkness falls. By month end, the Summer Triangle will have risen soon after 3am - summer already?  Someone better tell the weather.

Mercury:  in Capricorn, mag -1.0

Starts the month as an evening object, best seen in the second week.  On 1st it is only 6 degrees above the horizon at dusk, setting at 18.03.  It moves into Aquarius on 2nd and by 4th it is at 8 degrees in the SW at 17.15, setting just over an hour later.   Over the next week or so it gets higher in the early evening sky and also brightens.  From 8th to 12th it is at 10 degrees when the sky begins to darken around 17.30.  It reaches greatest eastern elongation on 10th, when it appears 18 degrees from the Sun and is at mag -0.7.  Two days later it is at its highest point, 14 degrees, at sunset, though still down to 10 degrees by the time the sky begins to darken.  It will then be at mag -0.4 and should be visible soon after sunset, to the east of Venus and at about one third the altitude.  Mercury's position then deteriorates rapidly, by 17th it is down to mag 0.8 and only 6 degrees above the horizon at dusk.  It reaches inferior solar conjunction on 26th and then becomes a morning object, but too close to the Sun to be visible. On 29th it rises half an hour before the Sun but appears separated from it by only 7 degrees.   .

Venus:  in Aquarius, mag -4.1

Unmissable in the evening sky - weather permitting.  On 1st it should be easily visible soon after 17.00, when it is at 25 degrees in the SW.  It moves into Pisces on 3rd and by mid February is 30 degrees above the horizon at around 17.30.  On 27th the 14% Moon passes 6 degrees south of the planet, they are still quite close on the following evening, when the now 21% lit Moon is 12.3 degrees to the SE.   On 29th Venus is easily visible for at least 3 hours.  It's at 33 degrees in the south at 18.03 in astronomical darkness, setting just after 22.00.  A telescope will show the planet's gibbous phase - 62% lit at month end.

Mars: in Ophiuchus, mag 1.4

A morning object but still very low and not getting much higher in the dawn sky during the month because of its relatively fast eastward motion.  It rises on 1st at 04.53 and only reaches 10 degrees by dawn.  It moves into Sagittarius on 12th when it is slightly higher - 11 degrees as the sky brightens.  On 18th the waning crescent Moon passes 3.2 degrees from the planet just before dawn.  They will be in the same binocular field of view but, as always, TAKE CARE, the Sun rises at 07.20 on this day.   Saturn and Jupiter are also close by around this time.  On 29th Mars rises at 04.31 and reaches 12 degrees by dawn, slightly brighter at mag 1.1.

Jupiter:  in Sagittarius, mag 0.6

Very low in the morning sky.  On 1st it rises at 06.36 but only reaches 4 degrees above the horizon by dawn. On 19th the 17% Moon passes 6 degrees west of the planet soon after it rises at 05.39.  The pair are closest, in daylight, at 19.40.  Because it is so bright it might be possible to spot it in the last few days of the month, from a site with a low, clear SE horizon.  On 29th it rises at 05.06 and reaches 8 degrees by 06.30.

Saturn:  in Sagittarius, mag 0.6

Another morning object, lower and fainter than Jupiter, so very difficult to see this month. On 1st it is still below the horizon when the sky begins to brighten, rising only 40 minutes before the Sun. The thin crescent Moon is close to the planet on the morning of 20th, but the pair are only just above the horizon at dawn. On 29th it rises at 05.32, on this day it forms a line with Mars and Jupiter, very low in the SE just before dawn.

Uranus:  in Aries, mag 5.8

Much better positioned than the 2 gas giants, but even this is now past its best, culminating before the sky is fully dark.  On 1st  it is at 47 degrees in the south as the sky darkens soon after 18.00 and should be high enough for observing until around 22.00, setting at 00.40.  On this evening the Moon passes 7 degrees ESE of the planet at 19.00.  On 28th, at this time, the Moon is 4 degrees to the SE.  It is 32 degrees above the SW horizon,, setting at 22.51.  Uranus should easily be visible in binoculars, maybe even with the naked eye from a dark sky site.

Neptune:  in Aquarius, mag 7.8

Now too low in the evening sky for telescopic observation. On 1st it is only 14 degrees above the horizon at dusk, setting at 20.08.  By 29th it appears 8 degrees from the Sun, setting only 40 minutes after it.

Ceres:  in Capricorn, mag 9

Too close to the Sun to be visible this month,  following January's solar conjunction.  On 1st it rises a few minutes after the Sun, by month end it rises only 10 minutes before it.

The remaining dwarf planets are very distant, orbiting way out in the Kuiper belt, so their apparent motion against the background stars is extremely slow.  Pluto, the closest of these, moves on average 1.45 degrees per year, Eris, the furthest, only 0.65 degrees, so don't expect to see any difference in images taken only a few days apart.

Pluto:  in Sagittarius, mag 15.1

Again, not visible after last month's conjunction.  On 1st it rises 40 minutes before the Sun and 90 minutes after it on 29th.  However it remains much too low for telescopic observing or imaging.

Haumea;  in Bootes, mag 17.4

Reasonably high in the sky for a good part of the night,  On 1st it is at 21 degrees around 1am, culminating, 52 degrees in the south, at 05.50. On 29th it reaches 21 degrees at 23.00 and culminates at 4am, again at 52 degrees.  It is still high, 48 degrees in the SW,  as the sky begins to brighten.

Makemake: in Coma Berenices, mag 17.2

Slightly higher than Haumea.  On 1st it is at 21 degrees - high enough for imaging - by 23.00, culminating at 04.35 when it reaches 59 degrees.  On 29th it gets to 21 degrees in the east at 21.06 and culminates, a little higher at 60 degrees, at 02.24.  It is still high as dawn breaks, 46 degrees in the SW at 05.35.

Eris:  in Cetus, mag 18.8

Extremely distant, faint, and slow moving against the background stars. On 1st it culminates only a few minutes after sunset and is at 32 degrees in the south soon after 18.00.  By month end it is only 17 degrees above the horizon at dusk - too low for imaging.

According to in-the-sky  'comets are intrinsically unpredictable and magnitude estimates must always be taken with a pinch of salt.'

C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS) in Perseus, mag 9.2 (or perhaps 10)

Circumpolar.  On 1st it is at its highest point, 83 degrees in the NW, at dusk and is down to 21 degrees in the north by dawn.  It moves into Cassiopeia on 13th, when it is 73 degrees in the NW at dusk and 23 degrees in the north at dawn. It moves along the side of the W asterism,  on 21st it passes between 2 open clusters, Stock 2, (the Muscleman) and NGC 743.  By 29th it should have brightened slightly, maybe to around mag 8.9, and be at 62 degrees NW at dusk, and round to 26 degrees in the north by dawn.

C/2018 N2 (ASSASSN) in Andromeda, mag somewhere around 11 or 12.

Also circumpolar.  On 1st it is at 56 degrees in the west at 18.14, shortly before the start of astro darkness, and down to 21 degrees in the north by 22.30.  By month end it is at 38 degrees in the NW at dusk, down to 22 degrees by 21.34.  It is then too low for imaging until 05.30, when it reaches 21 degrees in the NE shortly before dawn.

We have a couple of newly discovered comets, however neither is predicted to reach anything near naked eye brightness. Still, you never know.

C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS) in Aquarius, mag 11.5.

Currently very low in the evening sky, a little SE of Venus. Moves into Pisces on 4th and could reach mag 10 in late Feb / early March.

C/2020 A2 (Iwamoto) in Hercules,

Very faint morning object moving northwards, crosses into Lyra on 3rd and into Draco by the end of the month.  Not expected to get brighter than mag 15.

A chart of this one's position can be found at https://britastro.org/node/20410

For more information and exact positions of all solar system objects:

and, for comets:

Sunrise   1st:   08.24        31st:  07.56

Sunset    1st:  15.59         31st:  16.48

Astronomical darkness   1st:  18.10  to  06.14      31st:  18.50  to  05.53

Earth is at perihelion on Jan 5th, when it is 147,091,144  km  (0.98 AU) from the Sun.

Full Moon:  10th at 19.21

New Moon:  24th at 21.42

Lunar apogee:   2nd at 01.31   (404,578 km)

Lunar perigee:  13th at 20.22   (365,963 km)

Lunar apogee:  29th at 21.29   (405,389 km)

The time between 2 successive Lunar perigees or apogees is known as an anomalistic month, therefore we have a complete one in January.

January's full Moon is known as the Wolf Moon, because this is the time when these animals are said to howl most.  Other names are the self explanatory Moon after Yule, the Old Moon, the Ice Moon, the Spirit Moon and the Chinese Holiday Moon.

There still isn't much to write about, we have plenty of astronomical darkness - a few minutes over 12 hours on 1st and an hour less by 31st.  Venus is shining brightly in the early evening but the rest of the naked eye planets are very poorly placed, either low in the morning sky or not visible at all for most of the month.  The outer, fainter, ice giants are much better positioned in the evening sky, especially in early January.  There are a few circumpolar comets around but probably nothing approaching naked eye, or even binocular, brightness.

The one major meteor shower won't be affected by moonlight but it has only a very short peak, around dawn.

There is a partial Lunar eclipse on 10th, but the Moon only passes through the outer part, the penumbra, of the Earth's shadow so the darkening will be barely noticeable, especially if the sky is hazy.  From Manchester the eclipse begins at 17.07, when the Moon is only 8.6 degrees above the horizon.  Maximum cover, 86%, is at 19.10 at an altitude of 25.3 degrees and it finishes at 21.12, when the Moon has risen to 42.5 degrees.

There isn't much change in the prominent constellations since December, just that everything rises, or sets, a couple of hours earlier. Orion is now well above the horizon by 8pm at the start of the month, with Sirius rising at this time.  By month end, Sirius will rise at about 6pm.  Auriga, Gemini and Cassiopeia are all high in the sky. The Summer Triangle is now setting earlier as the Winter Hexagon rises. Taurus and the Pleiades are still very prominent and the spring constellation of Leo is above the south eastern horizon by 9pm.

Mercury:  in Sagittarius,  mag -0.9

Not visible for much of the month. On 1st it appears only 4 degrees from the Sun and moves even closer as it approaches superior solar conjunction on 10th. It then becomes an evening object, moving away from the Sun but still too close to be visible. When it moves into Capricorn on 17th the separation is still only 4 degrees.  By 23rd it is on the horizon as the sky darkens and on 25th  the thin crescent Moon is 2.5 degrees below the planet in the still bright sky. On 31st it is 5 degrees above the horizon as the sky darkens, setting at 17.57, about 70 minutes after the Sun.

Venus:  in Capricorn,  mag -4.0

Now even more prominent in the evening twilight. On 1st it should be visible in the still bright sky, 14 degrees above the horizon around 16.00.  Its position improves even more during the month as it moves away from the Sun, and also because the angle of the ecliptic to the horizon is increasing.  On 12th, when it moves into Aquarius, the planet is at 18 degrees in the SW when it becomes visible soon after sunset.  On 27th it is only 5 arcminutes south of Neptune at around 17.00.  The pair should be visible in the same field of view of a telescope.

IMPORTANT:  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LOOK AT THEM THROUGH A SCOPE UNTIL AFTER THE SUN HAS FULLY SET AT AROUND 16.40.

A few minutes after 17.00 the pair will be 24 degrees above the SW horizon.  On 27th and 28th the thin crescent Moon is also close by.  On 31st Venus is 25 degrees above the SW horizon at 17.00, setting at 20.34.

Mars:  in Libra, mag 1.6

A morning object, still low in the sky.  On 1st it rises at 05.00 and only reaches  12 degrees above the horizon by dawn.  It moves into Scorpio on 8th, still at the same altitude, and Ophiuchus on 16th, when it is slightly lower at 11 degrees.  On 20th the crescent Moon passes close to the planet, nearest while they are still below the horizon but still separated by only 6 degrees just before dawn.  Red supergiant Antares, the rival of Mars, is also close to the pair.  On 31st Mars rises at 04.43 and is slightly brighter at mag 1.3, but even lower - only getting to 10 degrees before the sky brightens.

Jupiter:  in Sagittarius, mag -1.8

Very low in the morning sky following solar conjunction at the end of December.  On 1st it isn't visible as it appears only 3 degrees from the Sun.  On 23rd the very thin crescent Moon is just over 3 degrees SE of the planet at dawn, very low in the SE.  On 31st Jupiter rises at 06.39 and is only 4 degrees above the horizon when the sky begins to brighten.

Saturn:  in Sagittarius, mag 0.5

Not visible this month. On 1st it is on the horizon at dusk, setting at 16.53. It is at solar conjunction on 13th, then becomes a morning object.  By month end it rises at 07.17, 40 minutes before the Sun, but is still just below the horizon as dawn breaks.

Uranus:  in Aries, mag 5.8

Still the best placed of the outer planets, well placed in the early part of the night for binocular and telescopic observation and imaging. On 1st it culminates, 48 degrees above the southern horizon, at 19.28.  By midnight it has sunk to 21 degrees in the SW.  On 4th, at around 18.00, the just past 1st quarter Moon passes 5 degrees south of the planet.  On 31st it culminates at 17.30, while the sky is still fairly bright, and is at 47 degrees in the SE as astro darkness begins, setting at 00.44.

Neptune:  in Aquarius, mag 7.9

Reasonably high in the early evening sky at the beginning of January.  On 1st it is at 29 degrees in the south at 17.32 and should be high enough for telescopic viewing or imaging until around 19.00.  By 21st it is only 21 degrees above the horizon as the sky darkens, setting at 20.49 and on 31st it is only 15 degrees in the SW at dusk, and sets at 20.12.

Ceres:  in Sagittarius, mag 9.0

Not visible this month as it is at solar conjunction on the night of 13th/14th.  It moves into Capricorn on 29th and on 31st is still only 11 degrees from the Sun.

Pluto:  in Sagittarius, mag 15.1

Another one which appears very close to the Sun this month, at solar conjunction on 13th.

Haumea: in Bootes, mag 17.4

Quite well placed for astrophotography in the early hours. On 1st it rises at 00.19 and will be high enough from around 3am,  reaching 49 degrees in the SE by dawn.  By 31st it rises at 22.17 and culminates at the end of astro darkness, 52 degrees above the southern horizon.

Makemake:  in Coma Berenices, mag 17.3

Reasonably high around midnight this month.  On 1st it rises at 22.11 and gets to 21 degrees in the east by 01.00, reaching its highest point, 59 degrees, at 06.40.  On 31st it rises at 20.11, is at 21 degrees by 23.00 and culminates at 04.42.

Eris:  in Cetus, mag 18.8

The faintest and most distant of the currently recognised dwarf planets moves very slowly against the background stars.  It takes 558 years to make one orbit of the Sun so since the announcement of its discovery, 15 years ago, has only completed approximately 2.6% of one orbit.  It hasn't even moved to another constellation and won't do so for another 15 years.  It was at aphelion in 1977 and is now getting closer to the Sun, however it won't reach perihelion for another 236 years.  On Jan 1st it reaches its highest point, 34 degrees, in the south at 19.09.  By 31st it culminates before the sky is fully dark and is at 33 degrees as the sky darkens around 18.15.

A couple of asteroids reach opposition in January.  These are a much better target for imaging, not only are they much brighter than the distant Kuiper Belt objects, they also seem to move much more quickly around the sky, so appear to have moved more in pics taken a few days apart.

511 Davida,  starts the month in Cancer, at mag 10.00.  On 1st it culminates, 58 degrees in the south, at 01.30.  It moves into Gemini on 3rd and is at opposition on 13th when it is at mag 9.6 and at 60 degrees by 00.23.  By 31st it will  have faded to mag 10.1 and culminate at 23.03, slightly higher at 62  degrees.

5 Astraea;  in Cancer, mag 9.6.  The fifth asteroid to be discovered, 38 years after 4 Vesta, is slightly lower - maximum altitude 51 degrees on 1st.  It is at opposition on 21st, when it culminates, 52 degrees in the south, at 00.20, slightly brighter at mag 9.0.  On 31st it will have faded to mag 9.2 and culminate at 23.28, a couple of degrees higher in the south.

Still a few around, circumpolar so above the horizon all night, but faint - only suitable for imaging.

C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS)  in Perseus,  could possibly be as bright as mag 8.3 but more likely around mag 10 - as always, various sources fail to agree.

On 1st it is at 61 degrees in the NE as the sky gets dark, reaching its highest point, 88 degrees in the north, at 20.52. It strays into Camelopardalis on 2nd and 3rd, then back into Perseus on 4th.  It continues its eastward motion and during the last few days of the month passes north of the double cluster.  By this time it should have brightened slightly (but may have faded), will be at 84 degrees in the NE at dusk and down to 21 degrees in the north as the sky brightens around 06.30.

Also circumpolar, but much fainter.

C/2018 N2 (ASSASSIN)  in Andromeda, mag around 12. Again quite high, 75 degrees in the SW at dusk on 1st and 57 degrees in the west as the sky darkens on 31st.

260P/McNaught: in Perseus, mag around 14.  On 1st it reaches 80 degrees in the south at 20.13.  On 31st, probably fainter at around mag 15.5,  is 76 degrees in the south at 19.00.

Recommended websites for more information and exact positions of all solar

system objects

and for news about comets

One promising shower and a couple of very minor ones.

Quadrantids:  active December 28th to Jan 12th, peak in the early hours of 4th, ZHR estimates vary, could be as low as 25 or as high as 200.  This shower has a very short peak of 4 to 6 hours, centred on 8am, so is best seen just before dawn. They are medium paced, medium bright meteors often leaving trails, the shower often includes some fireballs. The parent body is asteroid 2003 EH1, thought to be a former comet.

The name Quadrantids comes from the former constellation Quadrans Muralis, the wall mounted quadrant, which was not included when the IAU published its official list of constellations in 1922.  The location of the shower radiant now lies in Bootes.

On the morning of 4th the Moon sets around 1am, so will not interfere with pre dawn observing.

Minor showers:

Gamma Ursa Minorids, active 10th to 22nd, peak 19th/20th ZHR 3.  Slow moving meteors, again best seen just before dawn when the radiant is high.

Kappa Cancrids:  peak 10th.  Some activity reported in 2015 and 2016 but nothing since.  It might be worth looking this year.  The radiant is very close to that of the Antihelion Source but the Cancrids are much faster moving.