January 2019: Super blood moon, meteor showers and more light up night sky this month

Florida Today

Watch out Space Coast, 2019 is bringing meteor showers, lunar eclipses and more in January alone.

The New Year is proving to be quite a spectacle for stargazers as a super blood moon and planets appear in the night sky.

A total lunar eclipse seen from Indianapolis on Sept. 27, 2015, taken by Butler University professor Xianming Han.

Earth is at perihelion

Starting Jan. 3, Earth will be at perihelion, meaning the point where our planet is closest to the sun. Since Earth does not orbit around the sun in a perfect circle, but an ellipse, its distance around the sun differs throughout the year.

At a little over 91 million miles apart, our planet will be three percent closer to the sun than at its farthest point, or aphelion, in July. Though it may seem as if this should be the time when Earth is at its warmest, since the planet is tilted on its axis, the Northern Hemisphere side of the globe is tilted away from the sun.

Quadrantids meteor shower peaks Jan. 3-4

1/2: Quadrantid meteor shower | Millions of people around the world have flocked to movie theaters to see "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the seventh installment of the epic sci-fi movie franchise set in a galaxy far, far away. You can catch one of the most intense annual meteor displays in our very own night sky. Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff offers viewing tips to watch the Quadrantid meteor shower, as well as lectures explaining the cause of meteor showers and the source of the Quadrantids. | Details: 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2. Lowell Observatory, 1400 W. Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff. $6-$12. 928-233-3211, lowell.edu.

Tonight and Friday, stargazers can observe the night sky as shooting stars zoom through Earth's atmospheres. Viewers can expect to see anywhere from 60 to 120 meteors per hour as long as they're in a dark location, far from city lights. This year, the waning crescent moon will allow for even the faint meteors to be seen under clear skies.

More: The Quadrantids meteor shower and more to light up night sky in 2019

Super Blood Moon will be visible Jan. 20-21

Hikers look at the "Super Blood Moon" seen from the Summit Trail at Piestewa Peak in Phoenix on Sunday, September 27, 2015. #superbloodmoon #supermoon

A full moon is already a pretty amazing object to gaze at, let alone when it's an eclipse and a supermoon. This month, the full wolf moon — the name Native Americans and medieval Europeans gave for January's full moon — will be closer to Earth than usual, hence the name "supermoon." There will also be a total lunar eclipse happening at the same time, giving the moon a blood red hue.

Total coverage of the moon, or totality, will begin at 11:41 p.m. ET Jan. 20 and will end at 12:43 a.m. ET Jan 21 in Melbourne according to timeanddate. The total duration of the eclipse will last a little over five hours.

Venus and Jupiter join night sky Jan. 22

A recent photo of Venus and Jupiter in the night sky.

Stargazers will be able to witness as two of the brightest planets become visible in the night sky. Venus and Jupiter will only be separated by two degrees, providing a bright display in the southeastern sky. To make sure you're looking at the planets and not stars, apps like SkyView, Star Chart or Night Sky are all great tools for exploring the universe. Just point your smartphone device at the sky and the app will identify stars, constellations, planets and much more.

Contact Jaramillo at 321-242-3668 or antoniaj@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AntoniaJ_11.

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