Night Sky Highlights for January-March, 2015
Solar System
Comet Lovejoy C/2014 Q2
This comet is rapidly heading north, and by mid-December 2014 it was visible for northern hemisphere observers. During January and February 2015, it may be dimly visible to the naked eye as it passes through Lepus, Eridanus, Triangulum, Aries, Andromeda, and points further north. It already has a visible tail, and it should be a fine sight through binoculars or telescopes of all sizes. Here is a link to a finder chart from Sky and Telescope:
Mercury
Mercury will make a brief but interesting appearance in the western sky after sunset in the beginning of January. It will get quite close to Venus, and on January 10 the two planets will be less than 1 degree apart.
Venus
Shining with its usual brilliance, Venus will be visible in the western sky after sunset throughout the entire winter, and during the spring as well.
Mars
Adding to the evening scene with Venus and Mercury, Mars will be higher in the western sky during January. At this time, Mars will be about 2 magnitudes fainter than Mercury, but because it will be higher in the sky and away from the bright twilight glow, it may be easier to see than Mercury is. On February 21, Mars will be less than ½ degree from Venus.
Jupiter
The giant planet will rise in the east shortly after dark in January, and later in the winter it will be high in the eastern sky after sunset. Even the smallest telescope will reveal its four Galilean moons.
Saturn
In January, Saturn is in the eastern sky before sunrise, and it gets higher and higher in the morning sky as winter progresses.
Uranus
Now in Pisces, this greenish planet is still visible in the evening through most of the winter, and it is not hard to find with binoculars or a telescope if you have a good map, such as this one from Sky & Telescope:
http://d366w3m5tf0813.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/WEB_Uranus_Neptune_2014.pdf
Neptune
This winter, Neptune will pass by two of the brighter planets, providing a good opportunity to find it. On January 19, It will be just ¼ degree north of Mars in the western sky after sunset. On February 1, Neptune will be about 3/4 degree to the right of brilliant Venus. For other dates, the link above also provides a finder chart for Neptune.
Deep Sky Objects
Here are just a few of the many impressive deep-sky objects that can be seen in the winter months.
Messier 1, the Crab Nebula
Supernova remnant in Taurus
This nebula is the product of a supernova explosion in the year 1054 A.D. Although it is fairly dim and diffuse, it is still well worth tracking down.
Messier 42 and 43, the Orion Nebula
Diffuse nebula in Orion
The famous Orion Nebula can be seen with the naked eye as a fuzzy “star” in Orion’s sword. It is one of the brightest nebulas in the entire sky, and a spectacular view through a telescope.
Castor (alpha Geminorum)
Double star in Gemini
Along with nearby Pollux, Castor is one of the brightest stars in the sky. It is a nice telescopic double star, with its two components separated by about 5 arcseconds.
NGC 2392, the Eskimo Nebula
Planetary nebula in Gemini
This is a bright planetary nebula that looks something like a face surrounded by a parka hood, hence its nickname. It is also sometimes called the Clown Face Nebula.
Messier 35 and NGC 2158
Open clusters in Gemini
Messier 35 is a bright group of over 100 stars that makes a beautiful sight through a telescope with a low power eyepiece. But if you use higher power and move your telescope about ¼ degree to the southwest, you may be able to spot NGC 2158, which is another open cluster, five times farther away. They make an interesting contrasting pair of objects.
Messier 36, 37, and 38
Open clusters in Auriga
These three open clusters are just a few degrees apart, and each can be easily seen in binoculars. Through a small telescope, each has a distinctly different appearance.
r Leporus, Hind’s Crimson Star
Red star in Lepus
The constellation Lepus, the hare, can be seen just south of Orion in the winter sky. Hind’s Crimson Star is a very red variable star. Its magnitude varies between about 5.5 and 11.7.
Messier 79
Globular cluster in Lepus
The winter sky does not feature many examples of globular clusters, but one is Messier 79. It is not as bright as the better known globular clusters, but it can be spotted with just about any telescope, and some of its individual stars can be resolved with scopes of medium to large apertures.
Beta Monoceros
Triple star in Monoceros
This is a nice system of three blue-white stars.