Asteroid Psyche has switched from retrograde to prograde motion on the sky. You can find the main-belt world just north of Aldebaran tonight.
The strange, metallic asteroid Psyche arcs above the Bull’s eye, Aldebaran, this month. Credit: Astronomy: Roen Kelly
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January 23: The Moon visits Saturn and Neptune
Asteroid 16 Psyche is making a tight turnaround in Taurus this month, switching its motion from westward (retrograde) to eastward (prograde). Tonight it has just finished turning that corner, located north of the bright red giant star Aldebaran, which marks the Bull’s eye.
Taurus is already well above the horizon a few hours after sunset. Around 8 P.M. local time, the region housing Psyche is roughly 70° high in the south — about as high as it will get all night. Aldebaran should be easy to find, glowing brightly at magnitude 0.9. You may notice it has a reddish or orangey hue. As an aging red giant, this star has expanded and cooled off, changing the color of its light.
Tonight, Psyche is 1.8° north and a little west of Aldebaran. You should be able to capture both in a wide-field telescope, or simply nudge a smaller field of view north just a little from Aldebaran to capture Psyche. The strange, metallic world glows at 11th magnitude, best seen in 3-inch or larger scopes at medium power.
Sunrise: 7:15 A.M.
Sunset: 5:10 P.M.
Moonrise: 10:06 A.M.
Moonset: 11:42 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (39%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 10 P.M. local time from the same location.
