January 22–February 4, 2022
MOUNT WASHINGTON — Winter skies are the most inviting to naked-eye stargazers, and for including children when the brightest stars in the heavens appear in early evening, before bedtime. The mighty constellation, Orion the Hunter, floats above the southeast horizon as darkness gathers, by about 6 p.m. Fiercely twinkling Sirius the Dog Star rises around 5:30 p.m. and appears above hilly terrain by 6:30 p.m. Sirius, the brightest star in Earth’s skies, throws off magnificent flashes of full-spectrum colors. The constellation Canis major, aka the Great Dog, and Orion trace an arc from east-southeast to west-southwest, where they set well after midnight.
In order of magnitude, most brilliant first, from the top 11 naked-eye stars visible from Earth:
- Sirius -1.47 magnitude bluish
- Rigel 0.15m bluish-white
- Procyon 0.35 yellowish-white
- Betelgeuse 0.43m reddish
The all-night, all-bright stars deserved first billing; now, to turn back the clock to see the compelling, albeit fleeting, show that begins above the opposite skyline, in the southwest at dusk.
Evening stargazing truly begins at about 5:20 p.m., when the southwestern sky at twilight is likely to be pastel pink. Planet Jupiter, -2.06 magnitude, appears as a star-like point of light 20 degrees above the horizon. It is challenging to spot; it is invisible until searched for, sure to intrigue children. The thrill comes when the planet’s light shines through the pink or blue atmosphere and makes contact with our eyes. By 6 p.m., Jupiter is very bright and all the iconic winter stars in the diagram below are visible. With an unobstructed view to the horizon, Jupiter sets at 7:37 tonight and at around 7 p.m. as February begins – soon to vanish behind the Sun. The first crescent, waxing moon joins Jupiter on February 2 and 3. Be sure to enjoy bright stars Deneb Kaitos 2.00 m and Fomalhaut 1.15m before they disappear until next autumn.
Sunrise is one minute earlier every day, sunset one minute later. This morning, January 22, sunup is at 7:16 a.m. and sunset at 4:54 p.m., amounting to 9 hours, 38 minutes of daylight. February 4, sunrise is at 7:04 a.m. and sunset at 5:11 p.m. February begins with 10 hours of daylight (10 hours, 9 minutes on February 4), yielding half an hour gain in two weeks. Groundhog Day, February 2, marks the halfway point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.
For more information:
- Dark sky awareness
- City Dark trailer
- First step to protect the night sky, shield your outdoor spotlights at very little expense.
- Teachers Professional Development: Renowned McDonald Observatory offers June and July dates for professional development
