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January 5: Comet Schaumasse passes a pair of globs
With the gibbous Moon in Leo, our best bet for observing other targets lies in the western sky this evening. Visible there are the two famous open clusters of Taurus: the Pleiades and Hyades.
The Pleiades (M45) is the more easily recognizable of the two because it is more compact. Often called the Seven Sisters, this cluster spans about 110’ on the sky and is still nearly 60° high in the west by 11 P.M. local time. Most casual observers can spot six stars by eye, though some can see more. However, the bright moonlight may interfere a bit with naked-eye observing, so try zooming in with binoculars or a small telescope — or even your finder scope — for a closer look at these stars. They are roughly 100 million years old.
To the Pleiades’ upper left is Aldebaran, which appears to sit among — but is not physically part of — the stars of the Hyades. This cluster is much more spread out, spanning some 5.5° sprinkled across the nose of the Bull. These stars are about 625 million years old and are also best viewed with binoculars or a finder scope if you want a closer look.
Sunrise: 7:22 A.M.
Sunset: 4:50 P.M.
Moonrise: 8:50 P.M.
Moonset: 9:45 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waning gibbous (83%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 10 P.M. local time from the same location.
