Posted on Jan 3, 2023 6:12 am
Outer Space: There will be meteor showers and a wolf full moon in January
After a year packed with astronomical events, the first month of the year promises to be lively from the side of the sky.
Meteor showers occur several times a year, such as during the summer Perseids.
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In space as on Earth, early January is always very active. After a year of 2022 filled with emotions, thanks in particular to the stunning images from the James Webb telescope and the success of the Artemis mission, the first month of 2023 promises to be joyous for astronomy enthusiasts.
In early January, it is the Quadrantids, who take their name from the quadrant’s constellation, that open the ball. If these meteor showers already started on December 28, 2022, they will be most active on the night of January 3-4, 2023. During this time her hourly rate varies between 60 and 200.
This phenomenon, also known for creating fireballs, will end on January 12th. To observe these shooting stars, it is best to start in the morning, between moonset and sunrise, to take advantage of the two-hour beats in which the moon does not light up in the sky, refer to the Starwalk page.
Following in his footsteps is the first full moon of the year, called the Wolf Full Moon, on January 6th. According to Maxisciences, it is so named in reference to the short days at the beginning of the year. In the past, when cities were not illuminated, residents could only rely on the moonlight to spot potential predators like wolves.
Between bright comet and hybrid solar eclipse for 2023
For the rest of the year, the Starwalk site has listed the major astronomical events of this New Year.
1ah February: Comet C/2022 E3 will have reached its maximum luminosity. It will be bright enough to be visible with binoculars or, according to some predictions, even with the naked eye.
20th of April: A rare hybrid total solar eclipse, which changes in aspect as the moon’s shadow moves across Earth, can be seen from Australia, Indonesia and East Timor. The surrounding regions will experience a partial eclipse. In this century we will only have 7 left.
August 31: The supermoon will be closer to Earth than the other full moons of the year and will be the brightest and most notable of the year.
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