January 15, 2024: See Neptune near the moon after sundown. Use a binocular to see it.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:16 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:44 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.
Summaries of Current Sky Events
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Use Binocular to See Neptune
This evening attempt to see Neptune near the moon. After sundown, the crescent moon, 26% illuminated, is near Neptune, the most-distant planet in the modern solar system model.
Neptune is too dim to be seen without optical assistance. At the end of evening twilight, about 90 minutes after sunset, locate the crescent in the southwestern sky. Neptune is 1.7° to the lower right of the lunar orb.
Use a binocular to locate the moon and identify the stars 20, 24, and 27 in Pisces. Place 27 near the edge of the field of view at the ten o’clock position. The moon is off-center toward the left.
Next find the star HIP117112, a faint star in Pisces with this obscure catalog name, 1.5° to the lower right of the moon near the center of the field. The star is noticeably dimmer than 20, 24, and 27. Neptune is slightly dimmer than HIP117112, 0.2° to the lower right of the star. Neptune is aquamarine in color and the star’s hue is yellow-white.
A large telescope and higher magnifying powers are needed to see the planet’s globe.
This is a challenging view, and it may take multiple attempts through the binocular to locate the dim planet with the moon.
Earlier in the day, the moon occults or eclipses the planet from Antarctica and southeast South America.
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