We live in the age of space-flying robots, and remote probes brave the harsh environment of interplanetary space to transmit stunning images and valuable scientific data back to Earth to expand our understanding of the solar system in which we live.
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What are we able All that is done is to track the position of spacecraft in the night sky as they carry out missions millions, sometimes billions, of miles from Earth, sometimes on distant Earths solar system. Read on to find out where to find night sky creations from four famous robotic explorers, each with an extra sky-gazing target!
How to find 4 legendary spaceships in the January night sky.
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James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched on Christmas Day 2021. Its ambitious mission is to peer into ancient galaxies and reveal how they evolved. universeCollect data on the habitability of alien worlds and discover planets and exoplanet take shape.
In the hours after sunset in January, JWST traces a right-to-left path along the eastern horizon. On January 19, it will be placed to the left of the star Nu Orion, on the hunter’s raised right arm. Orion。
Over the next two weeks, the spacecraft will slowly leave Orion and head toward the bright point of light that represents gas giant planet Jupiter. Along the way, space telescopes will pass by at close range Magnitude +1.9 star Alhena, representing one leg of the twins Gemini。
While you’re stargazing, why not take the time to explore one of JWST’s many astronomical targets and one of the most unique deep sky objects? Look to the eastern sky after sunset and look for three stars Orion’s Belt constellation Shining in the winter sky. Find the lower star Alnitak and scan a 5-degree area of the sky. in the lower left corner of it – about the width of three of your middle fingers – until you find three Star Arranged in a row, filled with milky white mist—— Orion Nebula。
europa speed boat
NASA europa speed boat Launched on October 14, 2024, the spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) on a marathon journey, eventually arriving in the orbit of the gas giant Jupiter in April 2030. Once there, it will conduct 49 close flybys of the planet’s icy moons Europe Collect data about alien worlds to reveal their secrets and elucidate their habitability.
To find the part of the sky that contains Europa’s speedboat, first find the stellar structure of the Kite constellation LibraIt rises from the southeastern horizon around 3 a.m. local time for American viewers in mid-January. Remember: It’s best to use a trustworthy website, e.g. time and date Or stargazing apps like Starry Night or Stellarium let you know exactly when solar system objects rise and set from your location.
Europa Clipper will approach the faint star Gamma Libra of apparent magnitude +4.0 in the early morning hours of January 18, and then leave Libra for a stellar structure that represents the claws of the Great Scorpion in the constellation. Scorpio – Acrab, Dschubba and Pi Scorpii.
Turn to the west and you’ll find Jupiter’s bright light shining about 30 degrees (the width of three fists) above the bright starry horizon. castor and Pollux Above it shines the light of Gemini. Jupiter will appear especially large and bright throughout January in the weeks after it reaches opposition on January 10, when Jupiter appears in opposition sun In the sky of the earth.
Explorers of Jupiter’s icy moons
ESA/NASA Jupiter’s Icy Satellite Explorer (juice) is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter a year later in July 2031, when the Europa Clipper will begin detecting the gas giant planet and its large moons Ganymede, Callisto and Europe. Scientists hope the spacecraft’s findings will shed light on the mysterious nature of gas giants thought to form throughout the universe, while also gathering data on the oceans hosted by Jupiter’s moons, which will help reveal whether they may harbor microbial life.
On January 19, JUICE will cross the sky across part of the constellation OphiuchusAbout 10 degrees (the width of your fist), magnitude +2.4 below Sabik, it can be found low on the southeastern horizon before dawn. Next week we’ll look at the journey of the famous “Teapot” star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius, which we can see looming over the horizon as the sun rises in late January.
Around this time, you may see a bright red star twinkling on the southeastern horizon in the predawn sky. This bright characteristic of light is Antares — A red supergiant nearing the end of its stellar life cycle. The star – which represents the core of the constellation Scorpius – will eventually use up what’s left of its dwindling fuel reserves, after which it will collapse in on itself in spectacular fashion. supernovaAstrophysicists Paul Butterworth and Mike Arida say its brightness will be comparable to the brightness of the rest of the Milky Way combined NASA “Imagine the universe!”
Voyager 1
Both a scientific legend and a robotic ambassador for humanity, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft launched in September 1977 carrying one of two famous golden records – a repository of images, sounds, music and language from Earth, along with details of how to find us. Successful flight mission saturn Jupiter, Voyager 1 enter interstellar space It was born in August 2012 and is currently the farthest man-made object from Earth, at 15.75 billion miles (25.35 billion kilometers) from our parent star.
To find the area of the sky where Voyager 1 is located, first locate the constellation Ophiuchus, which rises from the eastern horizon before dawn in January and then rises to an altitude of about 50 degrees at sunrise. Next, find the bright magnitude +2.0 and +3.0 stars Rasalhague, Kappa Ophiuchi, and Rasalgethi, the latter of which belongs to the nearby constellation Hercules. Voyager 1 is located in space bounded by the Star Pyramid.
For a bonus objective, follow the path 25 degrees above Rasalgethi and look for the crown shape of Corona Borealis. This simple constellation is composed mostly of faint stellar bodies, but it also hosts the faint +10.0 magnitude star T Croronae Borealis, which undergoes a dramatic nova explosion approximately every 80 years, causing it to appear to be a new brightness magnitude – approximately +2.0 stars. polar star Polaris – born in the night sky. T Coronae Borealis – also known as the “Fiery Star” – last erupted in 1946, so astronomers are watching and studying it Waiting for his next starburst any day now。
Want to explore for yourself the majesty of the kingdom after sunset? Then be sure to check out our roundup The best telescopes for observing the night skyAnd photographers should read our top picks main camera and astrophotography lens。
Editor’s note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com readers, please send your photos, comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.