The sky this month, January 2007

Moon :

New moon : 8th

First quarter : 15th

Full moon : 22th

Last quarter : 30th

In order to observe at the beginning of the night (as during our tours), a moonless sky is preferred. With the moon, the sky is brighter, and it gets more and more difficult to see deep sky objects like far away galaxies. While observing the moon itself is spectacular, its light does not interfere with the observations of the planets and certain nebulae which we can see through special filters.We are in the spring, but the nights are still a bit cold, and it is better to be with too many clothes than not enough.

We are in summer, but in reality, winter. Altiplanic winter, i.e. monsoon season. We already have had rain a few times (when it didn't rain during 2007). The weather has been abnormally cloudy, so if you have the opportunity during this period make the reservation for your tour the night you arrive in San Pedro, so that if the weather is bad, you may have other opportunities.

Planets :

Mars and Saturn are the two planets we are observing.

Deep sky objects :

We look at a few bright stars. Then they are low, it is an impressive show, shining like diamonds. We look at a few double stars, like gamma Arietis.

The Milky Way is relatively high in the sky, with Orion high in the sky, and Carina low in the south east. We are observing the Orion nebula, the Eta Carina nebula, but also the Tarentula nebula in the large magellanic cloud.

We observe open clusters, like the Pleïades, NGC2516 in Carina, the crab nebula in Taurus, which is a supernova remnant.

47 Tucan is maybe the most beautiful globular cluster of the sky. Millions of stars in a single globe.

On moonless nights, there are many galaxies to observe. From the Magellanic clouds, then NGC253, at 8 millions of light years, then still further away, the Fornax cluster, at 65 millions of light years.

Moon phases during 2008 :