NASA: Start the year with a new moon, midnight meteors, and Mars! – EastMojo

Its the beginning of a new year and we start the year with a new moon on January 2, just the first week of the year. Head outside at night for a look at Quadrantid meteor showerpeaks on the night of January 2nd and the morning of the 3rd.

This tends to be one of the better meteor showers of the year, and often produces a number of bright meteors called fireballs. This year the peak coincides with the new moon, making for great viewing conditions, provided the skies are clear.

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In addition, stargazers will be able to watch a crescent moon in a close pairing with Jupiter on January 5. Towards the end of January, Astro enthusiasts will be able to catch a clear sight of the Moon near the Red Planet Mars on January 29.

Joining the pair in the southeastern sky will be Venus. Having left the evening skies last month, Venus is now rising before the Sun as the Morning Star. Now, Mars is slowly returning to view after passing behind the Sun over the past few months. In fact, NASA stops communicating with our spacecraft at Mars for about 2 weeks every two years, when the planet is directly opposite the Sun. That event, called solar conjunction, took place back in October, read a NASA report.

Also read: NASA Psyche: What looks like a potato and spins on its side?

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NASA: Start the year with a new moon, midnight meteors, and Mars! - EastMojo