Realm of Darkness
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Published: 30th December 2022
As the New Year begins, January provides us with some great events to view and photograph
And although there may be some fireworks disturbing your skywatching on New Years Eve
The nights are still long enough, in the rest of January to allow a decent amount of astronomy and astrophotography
4th January 2023
Quadrantid Meteor Shower Peaks
Wednesday the 4th of January means that the Quadrantid Meteor Shower reaches its peak
Although it will have been visible from the 28th of December, and will continue to be visible until the 12th of January, if you are unable to view it at its peak
Our enemy the Moon is a few days away from reaching a Full Moon. However the ZHR (Zenith Hourly Rate) is estimated to be 110, so you may be able to see a couple of meteors a minute. If you are in a dark location
| Location | Sunset | Sunrise | Moonrise | Moonset | Vis Time | Vis Dir | Non-Vis Time | Non-Vis Dir | Peak Time |
| Watford UK | 16:05 | 08:07 | 13:41 | 07:27 | All Night | North East | - | North East | 04:00 |
| Crewe, UK | 16:06 | 08:22 | 13:39 | 07:46 | All Night | North East | - | North East | 04:00 |
| Nuuk, Greenland | 14:48 | 10:14 | 10:53 | - | All Night | North East | - | North East | 01:00 |
| Duluth, Minnesota, USA | 16:33 | 07:53 | 14:25 | 07:18 | All Night | North East | - | North East | 22:00 |
| North Platte, Nebraska, USA | 17:27 | 08:08 | 15:26 | 07:27 | All Night | North East | - | North East | 22:00 |
| Spring Valley, Nevada, USA | 16:39 | 06:52 | 14:44 | 06:08 | 22:08 | North East | 18:01 | North East | - |
| Abilene, Texas, USA | 17:46 | 07:41 | 15:52 | 06:52 | 23:48 | North East | 07:11 | North East | 22:00 |
| New Dehli, India | 17:37 | 07:14 | 15:23 | 05:55 | 00:06 | North East | 06:46 | North East | - |
| Panaji, Goa, India | 18:16 | 07:02 | 16:08 | 05:37 | 01:42 | North East | 6:36 | North East | - |
| Attur, Tamil Nadu, India | 18:04 | 06:36 | 15:56 | 05:08 | 01:43 | North East | 06:11 | North East | - |
| Hubli, Karnataka, India | 18:11 | 06:57 | 16:02 | 05:31 | 01:38 | North East | 06:31 | North East | - |
| Dakhla, Western Sahara | 19:30 | 08:47 | 16:02 | 05:31 | 02:23 | North East | 08:20 | North East | 05:00 |
All that is required to view, is to locate the Bootes constellation, in a North East direction. Then get yourself a comfortable position, and then watch. No equipment is required unless attempting to photograph
Earth at Perihelion
The 4th of January mean that Earth is at Perihelion, or at its closest point to the Sun
Earth's orbit, and the gravitational effects of other objects, means that the Earth orbit varies. And will be about 5 million kilometers (3.1 million miles) closer to the Earth than it was in July 2022
6th January
Full Moon
Friday the 6th means our old enemy, the Full Moon returns for the New Year
Occurring on the weekend, may cause some irritation. Especially for those who like to spend time viewing the night time heavens on the weekends
The January Full Moon is known as the Wolf Moon, possibly due to the cold winter nights allowing the wolf howls to be heard clearly
However, there is no need to howl yourself. You can always use the Full Moon to practice your astronomy and astrophotography skills, ready for a moonless night
15th January
M47 Good Viewing
Sunday the 15th of January provides a good opportunity to view the M47 Open Cluster
"Noao-m47" by NOIRLab / NSF / AURA is licensed under CC BY 4.0 
.
M47 can be located in the constellation of Puppis, in an East to South East direction. Reaching its highest point around midnight in the South sky. Before disappearing, in a West to South West direction, in the early morning
| Location | Sunset | Sunrise | Moonrise | Moonset | Vis Time | Vis Dir | Non-Vis Time | Non-Vis Dir | Best Viewing |
| Watford UK | 16:20 | 08:00 | 00:36 | 11:19 | 21:56 | South East | 01:58 | South West | 23:57, South, 23° |
| Crewe, UK | 16:22 | 08:15 | 00:47 | 11:24 | 22:25 | South East | 01:53 | South West | 00:09, South, 22° |
| Nuuk, Greenland | Not Visible | ||||||||
| Duluth, Minnesota, USA | 16:46 | 07:48 | 23:41 | 12:44 | 21:25 | South East | 02:49 | South West | 00:07, South, 28° |
| North Platte, Nebraska, USA | 17:39 | 08:05 | 02:31 | 12:51 | 21:29 | South East | 03:54 | South West | 00:41, South, 34° |
| Spring Valley, Nevada, USA | 16:49 | 06:50 | 00:17 | 11:31 | 20:38 | South East | 03:03 | South West | 23:51, South, 34° |
| Abilene, Texas, USA | 17:56 | 07:40 | 01:08 | 12:32 | 20:53 | South East | 04:21 | South West | 00:37, South, 43° |
| New Dehli, India | 17:45 | 07:14 | 00:19 | 12:04 | 20:27 | South East | 04:16 | South West | 00:21, South, 46° |
| Panaji, Goa, India | 18:23 | 07:04 | 00:25 | 12:28 | 20:13 | East | 04:56 | West | 00:35, South, 60° |
| Attur, Tamil Nadu, India | 18:10 | 06:39 | 00:04 | 12:11 | 19:48 | East | 04:43 | West | 00:16, South, 63° |
| Hubli, Karnataka, India | 18:18 | 06:59 | 00:15 | 12:15 | 20:08 | East | 04:51 | West | 00:30, South, 60° |
| Dakhla, Western Sahara | 19:38 | 08:48 | 02:13 | 13:59 | 21:57 | South East | 06:09 | South West | 02:03, South, 51° |
While M47 can be spotted without equipment, you will either want a pair of binoculars or a telescope to view with any clarity
21st January
Mercury at Highest Point in the Morning
Saturday the 21st of January means that Mercury will be at its highest point
Although not easy to view, if you want to have an attempt, before the Sun rises
Then it may be worth while
New Moon
Saturday the 21st provides an ideal time to view the night skies, without the hassle of the Moon, trying to outshine things
Occurring at the weekend, may allow you to spend a greater amount of time. Attempting to view the heavens
So if you have some equipment, or even if you don’t. Then find a comfortable location, and view or photograph the stars. Without the Moonlight
26th January
Asteroid 6 Hebe at Opposition
On Thursday the 26th of January, the asteroid 6 Hebe is at opposition. And is in an ideal location for viewing. If you have a 100mm telescope
| Location | Sunset | Sunrise | Moonrise | Moonset | Vis Time | Vis Dir | Non-Vis Time | Non-Vis Dir | Best Viewing |
| Watford UK | 16:39 | 07:48 | 10:11 | 23:03 | 19:22 | East | 04:54 | West | 00:08, South, 51° |
| Crewe, UK | 15:57 | 08:23 | 10:19 | 23:13 | 19:31 | East | 05:01 | West | 00:16, South, 50° |
| Nuuk, Greenland | 15:53 | 09:23 | 10:31 | 23:59 | 20:04 | East | 05:01 | West | 00:32, South, 39° |
| Duluth, Minnesota, USA | 17:02 | 07:38 | 10:23 | 23:25 | 19:25 | East | 05:02 | West | 00:14, South, 56° |
| North Platte, Nebraska, USA | 17:52 | 07:58 | 11:01 | 23:56 | 19:58 | East | 05:38 | West | 00:48, South, 62° |
| Spring Valley, Nevada, USA | 17:01 | 06:45 | 10:01 | 22:53 | 18:52 | East | 04:54 | West | 23:42, South, 67° |
| Abilene, Texas, USA | 18:06 | 07:36 | 10:59 | 23:46 | 19:55 | East | 05:33 | West | 00:44, South, 71° |
| New Dehli, India | 17:55 | 07:11 | 10:27 | 22:56 | 19:40 | East | 05:16 | West | 00:28, South, 74° |
| Panaji, Goa, India | 18:29 | 07:04 | 10:41 | 23:06 | 20:00 | East | 05:24 | West | 00:42, South, 88° |
| Attur, Tamil Nadu, India | 18:15 | 06:40 | 10:21 | 22:45 | 19:43 | East | 05:02 | West | 00:23, North, 88° |
| Hubli, Karnataka, India | 18:15 | 06:57 | 09:44 | 21:14 | 19:54 | East | 05:18 | West | 00:36, South, 88° |
| Dakhla, Western Sahara | 19:46 | 08:46 | 12:18 | 00:52 | 21:23 | East | 06:56 | West | 02:10, South, 79° |
31st January
M44 Good Viewing
The month comes to an end, on Tuesday the 31st of January. With a good chance to view the M44 Open Cluster
Created by Giuseppe Donatiello used under CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Also known as the Beehive Open Cluster
| Location | Sunset | Sunrise | Moonrise | Moonset | Vis Time | Vis Dir | Non-Vis Time | Non-Vis Dir | Best Viewing |
| Watford UK | 16:48 | 07:40 | 11:41 | 05:21 | 18:05 | East | 05:56 | West | 00:02, South, 58° |
| Crewe, UK | 16:51 | 07:53 | 11:40 | 05:40 | 18:11 | East | 06:06 | West | 00:10, South, 56° |
| Nuuk, Greenland | 16:10 | 09:08 | 09:24 | - | 18:13 | East | 06:40 | West | 00:26, South, 45° |
| Duluth, Minnesota, USA | 17:10 | 07:32 | 12:24 | 05:13 | 18:19 | East | 05:55 | West | 00:07, South, 62° |
| North Platte, Nebraska, USA | 17:58 | 07:54 | 13:24 | 05:23 | 19:01 | East | 06:23 | West | 00:42, South, 68° |
| Spring Valley, Nevada, USA | 17:06 | 06:41 | 12:42 | 04:04 | 18:04 | East | 05:11 | West | 23:36, South, 73° |
| Abilene, Texas, USA | 18:11 | 07:33 | 13:49 | 04:47 | 19:06 | East | 06:09 | West | 00:38, South, 77° |
| New Dehli, India | 17:34 | 07:09 | 13:21 | 03:50 | 18:52 | East | 05:49 | West | 00:22, South, 81° |
| Panaji, Goa, India | 18:31 | 07:04 | 14:05 | 03:32 | 19:24 | East | 05:47 | West | 00:36, North, 85° |
| Attur, Tamil Nadu, India | 18:17 | 06:40 | 13:53 | 03:04 | 19:09 | East | 05:24 | West | 00:16, North, 81° |
| Hubli, Karnataka, India | 18:18 | 06:56 | 13:49 | 03:26 | 19:19 | East | 05:42 | West | 00:30, North, 85° |
| Dakhla, Western Sahara | 19:49 | 08:44 | 15:27 | 05:34 | 20:40 | East | 07:25 | West | 02:04, South, 85° |
M44 can be found in between Pollux in the Gemini constellation, and Regulus in the Leo constellation
Ideally, you will want a pair of binoculars or a telescope to view, although you can spot without
Associated Videos
Darkest Hour, Brightest Night also produce short videos, which are published several days before the event is due to occur
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Written by: Ben Patmore
Ben Patmore is an amateur astrophotographer
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