January 11
Two Moons for Uranus
Sun Position
The Sun lies in Capricornus, about 21.9° south of the celestial equator. In the Northern Hemisphere the days are still short but lengthening; in the Southern Hemisphere this is high summer with long, warm evenings.
Sky Highlight
Taurus and Auriga ride near the zenith on northern evenings, their overlapping star clusters a binocular feast. Visible from both hemispheres, higher in the north.
Deep Sky Object
Messier 38, an open cluster about 4,200 light-years away in Auriga, its brightest stars forming a rough cross. Northern Hemisphere favored.
Featured Star
Menkar (α Cet), a red giant in Cetus, about 249 light-years away. Menkar, the nostril of the sea monster, a red giant fading toward its end.
Around This Date
- January 11, 1787William Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, the two largest moons of Uranus, just six years after his discovery of the planet itself.
- January 11, 1998Lunar Prospector entered lunar orbit five days after launch, beginning a year of surface mapping that provided the first strong orbital evidence for water ice at the Moon's poles.
A planet found by accident kept handing over secrets.