This new column about astronomy is for those of us who are interested in the subject but don't have the patience to process a lot of numbers.

I am an amateur who gets a thrill every time I look up at night and see the stars. I have been that way for as long as I can remember.

This column is for those of us who just want to know what's happening in the sky and in the field of astronomy and don't want a lot of other stuff to distract us from the wonder of it all.

Our objective will be to get all of the information out to anyone who reads this with a minimum of effort and a maximum of satisfaction.

This month is a fairly quiet one but there are still plenty of things to see when you look up.

The most interesting sight this month could be comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy which should be arriving in the southeast and progressing gradually towards the North Star Polaris during the month. It will be faint, most likely binoculars will be needed to see it, but there is a possibility it will grow in brightness to be visible to the naked eye.

It will be closest to us on Jan. 7, a bit less than half the distance from Earth to the sun. It will continue to recede into the distance after that.

A second sight this month, but again a bit disappointing, is the Quadrantid meteor shower, peaking around Jan. 4.

Normally, this is a good shower to watch for, but this year it will be poor only for one reason the full moon on Jan. 5. Strong moonlight is the bane of meteor watching, and this shower will be washed out by the moon.

The shower will radiate from a point a bit to the left of the Big Dipper.

See more here:

January will be quiet, but theres plenty to see when you look up