January 11
Two Moons for Uranus
Sun Position
The Sun lies in Capricornus, about 21.9ยฐ 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 (ฮฑ 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.