Sky Chart For The Month of January, 2023

ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR JANUARY 2023

The Moon

Full Moon occurs on 7^that h.4-38 I.S.T.	Last Quarter occurs on 15^that h. 7-40 I.S.T.
New Moon occurs on 22^ndat h. 2-23 I.S.T.	First Quarter occurs on 28^that h. 20-49 I.S.T.

The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 23^rd.
The Moon is at Apogee or farthest from the Earth 8^th of this month and at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 22^nd.

The Moon passes about ½ºnorth of Uranus on2^nd, about ½º south of Mars on 4^thjust after midnight, about 7º south of Mercury on 20^th, about 4° south of Saturn and about 3½º South of Venus on 23^rd, about 2½° south of Neptune on 25^th, about 2º south of Jupiter on 26^th and just south to Mars on 31^st.

The Earth

The Earth approaches the perihelion position on its orbit or reaches nearest to the Sun on 4^th.

The Planets

Visibility of Planets:

Mercury:The planet sets about 1 hour after sunsetupto 2^nd of the month. Thereafter the planet is too close to the Sun to be visible. From 12^th of the month it becomes visible in the eastern sky before sunrise.It rises about 1 hour to 1½ hours before sunrise for the remaining days of the month. The planet is at perihelion or nearest to the Sun in its orbit on 3^rd. The planet is in Inferior conjunction with Sun on 7^th of the month.The motion of the planet becomes Direct with respect to the Earth from 18^thof the month. It is in Greatest Western Elongation of about 25º from the Sun on 30^th.

Venus:The planetsets about 1½ hours to 2 hours after sun set throughout the month.

Mars:The planet sets about 2 hours to 2½ hours before sunrise uptothe first quarter of month, about 2½ hours to 3 hours before it uptothe second quarter of month, about 3 hours to 3½ hours before it uptothe third quarter of month and about 3½ hours to 4 hours before it for theremaining days of the month. The Planet becomes Direct with respect to Earth from 13^th.

Jupiter:The planet sets about 1 hour to 1½ hours before local midnight upto first quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it upto third quarter of the month and about 2 hours to 2½ hours before it for the remaining days of the month. The planet approaches the Perihelion position on its orbit or reaches nearest to the Sun on 20^th.

Saturn: The planet sets about 3 hours to 2½ hours after sunset upto the first quarter of month, about 2½ hours to 2 hours afterit upto the second quarter of month, about 2 hours to 1½ hours afterit uptothe third quarter of month and about 1½ hours to 1 hour after it for the remaining days of the month.

Uranus:The planet sets about 2½ hours to 2 hours after local midnight upto first quarter of the month, about 2 hours to 1½ hours after ituptosecond quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 1 hour after ituptothird quarter of the month and about 1 hour to ½ hour afterit for the remaining days of the month. The motion of the planet becomes Direct with respect to Earth from 23^rd.

Neptune:The planet sets about 1½ hours to 2 hours before local midnight upto first quarter of the month, about 2 hours to 2½ hours before itupto second quarter of the month, about 2½ hours to 3 hours before itupto third quarter of the month and about 3 hours to 3½ hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Conjunction of Planets:

Venus passes about ½º south of Saturn on 23^rd.

Planets	Planets in Zodiacal Constellation	Magnitude
Mercury (Budha)	Remains in Sagittarius(Dhanus).	+1.1 to 0.0 0.0 to -0.1
Venus (Sukra)	Moves from Capricornus(Makara) to Aquarius (Kumbha) on 22^nd.	-3.9
Mars (Mangala)	Remains in Taurus (Vrisha).	-1.1 to -0.3
Jupiter (Brihaspati)	Remains in Pisces (Mina).	–2.3 to -2.2
Saturn (Sani)	Moves from Capricornus(Makara) to Aquarius (Kumbha) on 17^th	+0.8
Uranus	Remains in Aries (Mesha).	+6.0
Neptune	Remains in Aquarius (Kumbha).	+8.0

Source : : Director

Positional Astronomy Centre

India Meteorological Department

Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700 091.