Saturday, January 3, 2015

Wolf Moon 2015


The first full moon of 2015 - Wolf Moon.


On Jan. 5, the Earth will get 2015's first full moon. The January full moon is referred to as Full Wolf Moon, Old Moon and the Moon after Yule. The moon reaches its full phase at 04:53 UTC when the moon is positioned directly opposite Earth.


The first New moon of 2015


The first New Moon occurs on Jan. 20, 2015. The astronomical event will reach its peak at 13:14 UTC when moon will be positioned directly between the Earth and the Sun. It is said to be the time of the month that provides the best view of the objects that are otherwise not visible due to the moonlight. Sky watchers must make the best of this opportunity.


The Lovejoy Comet.

Besides the full moon and new moon, sky watchers can see the green comet Lovejoy lighting up the January sky. On Jan. 7, the comet will be closest to Earth at a distance of 70.2 million kilometers. The movement of the comet can be easily observed by those living in Northern Hemisphere. It must be noted that Lovejoy will be seen again only after 8,000 years.


The Planets.


As for those who want to observe the planets in January Sky, look for Venus after the sunset according to Earth Sky.com. Mercury will be hard to locate, but it sits below Venus and might become visible during evening hours. Mars can reportedly be seen hanging "low in the southwestern twilight sky." Jupiter will be visible from evening to early morning hours in the eastern sky. Watch out for Saturn in the eastern sky before the sunrise

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