Although this exact conjunction between Mars and Jupiter occurred during the day so that it was not observable, it was correctly predicted by the Babylonian scholars: a remarkable achievement and a nice illustration of their astronomical craftsmanship. An exact conjunction, where two planets are so close together that they appear as one object in the sky, is also extremely rare. There is an additional astronomical event which makes this planetary configuration even more unique: the exact conjunction of the planets Mars and Jupiter in the afternoon of 25 March 185 BC. These two observational texts are not only interesting as records of an extremely rare planetary configuration, but also because (1) the observers appear to be confused by the presence of all planets simultaneously and mix them up in their reports, and (2) the two reports of the same observations are so different that we are forced to conclude that they were carried out by two different observers.
This extremely rare astronomical phenomenon was observed in Babylon between 20 and 30 March 185 BC shortly before sunrise when all five planets were simultaneously visible for about 10 to 15 min close to the horizon in the eastern morning sky. According to the space agency, a Third Quarter Moon will be seen on January 25 and February 1 will again be a new moon.In this paper, we discuss Babylonian observations of a “massing of the planets” reported in two Astronomical Diaries, BM 32562 and BM 46051.
ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THIS MORNING FULL
A full moon will be up in the sky on January 17. While skywatchers witnessed a new moon on January 2, on January 9, the first quarter moon will be visible. Leaving the evening skies last month, Venus will be now rising before the Sun, hence it is considered as the ‘Morning Star.’Īs far as Mars is concerned, it will continue to brighten and climb higher over the next few months, and it will have super-close conjunctions with Saturn and Jupiter.
The duo will be joined by Venus in the morning sky, all you have to do is look southeast 45 minutes before sunrise. Skywatchers must look to the southwest for approximately one hour after sunsetto find the crescent Moon in a close pairing with Jupiter.Īt the end of the month, you will also be able to see the sight of the Moon near the Red Planet (Mars), on January 29. In case you have missed it, don’t be disappointed as January 5 will bring the crescent Moon only about 4 degrees away from Jupiter. The meteor shower often produces a number of bright meteors, which are known as fireballs. The Quadrantids meteors radiate from the constellation Bootes, which rises around midnight local time. One of the best annual meteor showers was visible on the morning of January 3. In its latest report titled – What’s Up: Skywatching Tips from NASA, the space agency has highlighted some of the astronomical events one must watch this month. This equation will be visible in the morning as well as the evening sky in the month of January. The first month of 2022 is ideal for stargazing, as you will be able to see Venus, Mars, and Jupiter in a close pairing with the Moon.
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