ALERT NEWSLETTER – January 2024

Hi everyone & Happy New Year!

 

I hope you had a safe and happy holiday season, and that Santa was good to you and that Father Time will be kind to you also.

 

As we unwind from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, make sure to mark January 9 on your calendar, as that is our next ALERT meeting.

 

Other important dates to remember and hopefully attend are:

 

The Blount County Freezefest 2024, Saturday January 6, from 8 to 12 Noon, at the Locust Fork High School, in Locust Fork.  

 

For more information got to:  W4BLT.org – FreezeFest 2024

 

Winter Field Day will he held January 27 & 28.

 

For more information go to Home – WFDA (winterfieldday.org)

 

Winter Field Day and it’s spring counterpart Field Day are to me one of the most valuable events that ham radio operators can participate in, for it helps give actual experience in a “grid down” situation, where hams have to erect their antennas and power their equipment as in an actual post-disaster scenario.  Whether it’s a club or group, providing their own generator and food, or an individual setting up and using his own equipment using alternate power sources, whether that be battery power or battery and solar power, this can provide valuable hands own experience and operating experience that someday could prove vital in during an actual emergency.

 

Oh, and did I mention that it’s a fun event?  It is.

 

The Birmingham Hamfest is only a few weeks away, March 14 & 14, at the Trussville Civic Center.

 

This event, will as with last year’s event, will be a Friday & Saturday affair.  There will be vendors, a flea market, forums, including one by ALERT and ARES, and Amateur Radio Examinations.

 

For more information go to: http://birminghamfest.org/

 

Hope to see you there!

 

 

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Ham Radio Contests For 2024

 

December 27, 1977 was a sunny day, with high clouds and a southerly breeze.  I went to the mailbox, with anticipation and a little fear hoping to see a letter from the FCC.  I had taken my Novice 5 WPM code and written exams on November 27. Though my Elmer, Jim K4UMD said “I think you passed”, only the FCC could say ”yea or nay” and everything in those days was done via the US Mail.

 

That day I found an oblong envelope and inside was a yellow slip of paper that said “WD4NYL”.

It seemed like a miracle.  Which perhaps is why I never changed to a fancier callsign. For 46 years I have, or my station has been WD4NYL.

 

The first contact came two days later on 40 meters at a slooooow 3 WPM.  A couple of months later a ham event occurred which has always brought fond memories.  The 1978 Novice Roundup.  From February 4th through 12th I worked dozens of stations all over the country.  No struggle making contacts, they just poured in like rain.  Ham radio Nirvana.  And that’s when I decided I liked ham radio contests.

 

Ham radio contests are a divisive issue.  

 

On the one hand there are those who, like me, due to life and its 10,000 responsibilities, rarely  have time to get on the air, and getting on the air and finding every frequency occupied by “CQ Contest, CQ Contest” can be totally annoying if you are just wanting to “chew the rag”.

 

Contesters counter that not every weekend has a contest and that 60, 30, 17 & 12 meters are intentionally contest free.  And, that those are very good bands, which is true.

 

Though, I know, that due to my time and antenna situation, being treeless, and using whatever will get me on the air, I will never be a “contender” in ham contests.  But, I do enjoy contests & see the usefulness of them.  

 

For one thing, they amuse me.  They confirm what I have seen in 46 years of hamming.  Many times, you can tune above and below a ham band and hear those frequencies literally crawling with “utility” and Shortwave broadcasters, but the ham band in between is “dead”.  A black hole in the middle of the RF spectrum. 

 

The contest time comes around, and some switch is flipped in the ionosphere and that black hole that was sucking up all the RF from, say 14.000 – 14.350 MHz suddenly disappears, and an anthill of operators is stirred up.  The contest’s time ends and just as suddenly crickets rule the world of 20 meters again.

 

The band was open the entire time, but everyone hearing static just assumed it was dead and stayed off the air, preferring to argue on Facebook instead.

 

The same is true for 10 meters. 

 

The 11 meter CB band will be booming, as are the illegal “free band” frequencies between the CB and 10 meter band, but 10 is as dead as a stegosaurus.  Or is it?

 

If 11 meters is open, 12 meters is also open and 10 meters is probably open also. 

 

With contests you get to hear states and rare DX stations that you might never hear otherwise, or hear so rarely that it is a miracle, and you have to claw through 1000 stations in a pileup the size of Mt. Everest to reach them.

 

With contests DX stations who might ordinarily pass you by because your signal is putrid & puny, like mine, WANT to work you and so you can rack up contacts for the DXCC and other various awards, or just the joy of the accomplishment.

 

I like contests because even if you have to repeat your callsign nine times before they get it right your signal report is always “59”, which for our non-ham readers means “a perfect readable strong signal”.  Even if I know the report is a total illusion, it stokes my ego, making me and my station feel like a Big Dawg, even if it is a chihuahua.

 

Contests help give you an idea of the effectiveness and quirks of your station. For instance, I know that 15 meters is my best bet to reach Europe, 10 meters for western stations and South America, 20 meters is for the Midwest and so on.  It gives me an idea of the actual antenna pattern I am encountering, as opposed to the theoretical pattern I would have if I had a “by the book” antenna setup, which I do not have.

 

Contests give life to lesser used bands such as 160 & 6 meters and the VHF & UHF bands, which usually are thought of in terms of repeaters not distant contacts.

 

So, if you find a contest in progress, you might check online for the rules or exchange requirements, or just listen a while and you generally will get the gist of what is going on and just hop in.  

 

The following lists are my Target List of contests that particularly interest me, usually due to DX opportunities, as in “non-Continental US stations” and various states contests,

 

In case you didn’t know, there is a debate as to what the definition of “DX” is or should be.

 

Some feel that the term “DX” should not include Canada, for instance, since supposedly Canadians don’t consider the United States as DX.  Just as Europeans do not consider other Europeans countries as DX, even though they may be different countries with different languages.

 

On the other hand, you have a thing called the “ARRL DXCC” list. Which DOES consider Mexico, Canada, and Central American stations as DX.  My definition of “DX” is “if I can’t see the other stations antenna, it’s “DX’”, therefore Arizona is DX to me, as is Alabaster.

 

It doesn’t really matter to me, as I don’t chase awards and can’t tell you how many “DX” stations I have actually worked.  Someday I will dig out 46 years’ worth of logbooks and find out.  They are paper logs and should be ok.  If I had computerized them way back when, as folk said I should, the oxide from the floppy disks would have corroded into powder long ago, even if I found a computer still compatible with the operating system used in those days.  This is why I recommend that if you use a logging program, use a paper log also as a backup.  Operating systems change, storage systems become obsolete and eventually they are no longer supported.  But paper and pen last decades and, with notes about tests taken, thoughts about ham experiences and just life in general, it doubles as a journal of your ham radio journey and life. As you thumb through them vivid memories come flooding back to you, which is something you will value in years to come.  This is something electronic logs can never do.  They are just letters and numbers on a spreadsheet.  Cold and emotionless.

 

The following list is by no means a complete list.  For an in-depth list of the various contests and the homepages of the contests I will be listing, go to the WA7BNM Contest Calendar WA7BNM Contest Calendar: Home and Contest Calendar (arrl.org) 

 

Some are marked as “tentative” as the 2024 dates had not been updated on the contests websites when I wrote this article.  Also, some dates which were confirmed looked a little funky.

 

Note that the dates are for the beginning of the contest, not the duration.  Check the above websites for times, dates, and contests exchanges, which vary with each contest. Some simple, such as the standard fake signal report and location and other wanting so much goop that it might as well be a novel.

 

That said, give it a try!  You never know what rarity will fire up on contest days and never be heard anytime else.  It’s FUN!

 

 

Mark’s 2024 Contest Calendar

 

 

January 1         Straight Key Night

January 6         ARRL Kids Day

January 13 North American QSO Party – CW

                          ARRL VHF Contest

January 24       Australia Day

January 26       CQ 160 Meter Contest – CW

January 27       ARRL Winter Field Day

February 3       10-10 International – Winter – USB

                          British Columbia QSO Party 

Minnesota QSO Party

Vermont QSO Party

February 4        North American Sprint – CW

February 10      Asia-Pacific Sprint – CW

February 17      ARRL International DX – CW

February 23      CQ 160 Meter Contest – LSB

February 24 South Carolina QSO Party

February 25 North Carolina QSO Party

March 2             ARRL International DX

March 3 Nova Scotia NSARA QSO Party (tentative)

March 9             Idaho QSO Party

Oklahoma QSO Party  

March 10 Wisconsin QSO Party

March 16 Virgina QSO Party

March 30 CQ Worldwide WPX Contest – SSB

April 6 Louisiana QSO Party

Nebraska QSO Party

April 7 Mississippi QSO Party

Missouri QSO Party (tentative)

April 13 New Mexico QSO Party

North Dakota QSO Party (tentative)

Georgia QSO Party  

Michigan QSO Party (tentative)

April 20 Ontario QSO Party

April 21 ARRL Rookie Roundup – SSB

Quebec QSO Party (tentative)

April 27 Florida QSO Party  

May 4 10-10 International – Spring – CW

7th Call Area QSO Party

New England QSO Party

Indiana QSO Party

May 11 Canadian Prairies QSO Party

May 18 Arkansas QSO Party (tentative)

May 25 CQ Worldwide WPX Contest – CW

June 1 Kentucky QSO Party

June 8  Asia-Pacific Sprint – SSB

ARRL June VHF Contest

June 15            SMIRK Contest (6 Meters)

ALL Asia DX Contest – CW

ARRL Kids Day

West Virgina QSO Party

June 22 ARRL Field Day

July 1 RAC Canada Day

July 13 International Amateur Radio Union HF Worldwide

July 20 CQ Worldwide VHF

August 3 10-10 International – Summer – USB

European HF Contest

ARRL 220 & Up Contest

  North American QSO Party – CW

August 10 Maryland-DC QSO Party

August 17 North American QSO Party – SSB

August 24 Hawaii Contest Party

W/VE Island QSO Party

Kansas QSO Party

Ohio QSO Party

August 31        Colorado QSO Party

September 1 Tennessee QSO Party

September 7 All Asia DX Contest – SSB

September 9    North American Sprint – CW

September 14 ARRL September VHF Contest

Alabama QSO Party (tentative)

September 21  Washington State Salmon Run

New Hampshire QSO Party

New Jersey QSO Party

Texas QSO Party

Iowa QSO Party

September 22 144 MHz Fall Sprint

September 28 Maine QSO Party

October 5 California QSO Party

October 10 10-10 International 10-10 Sprint

October 12 Oceania DX – Phone

Arizona QSO Party

South Dakota QSO Party

Nevada QSO Party

  Oceania DX – CW

Pennsylvania QSO Party

October 19 10-10 International – CW

New York QSO Party

October 20Asia Pacific Sprin

Illinois QSO Party

October 26 CQ Worldwide – SSB

November 2 ARRL Sweepstakes – CW

November 16 ARRL Sweepstakes – SSB

November 23 CQ Worldwide – CW

December 6 ARRL 160 Meter Contest

Skywarn Appreciation Day

December 14 ARRL 10 Meter Contest

December 22 ARRL Rookie Roundup – CW

 

 

 

2024 State & Province QSO Parties

 

 

Alabama                  Alabama QSO Party              Sep 14 (tentative)

Alaska                     (None – just pray a lot)                         X

Alberta                     Canadian Prairies QSO Party May 11

Arizona                    7th Call Area QSO Party              May 4 

                      Arizona QSO Party              Oct 12

Arkansas        Arkansas QSO Party              May 18 (tentative)

British Columbia    British Columbia QSO Party Feb 3 

California        California QSO Party              Oct 5

Colorado        Colorado QSO Party              Aug 31 

Connecticut        New England QSO Party              May 4

Delaware        Delaware QSO Party              May 4 (tentative)

Florida                     Florida QSO Party                           Apr 27 

Georgia        Georgia QSO Party              Apr 13

Hawaii                     Hawaii QSO Party                           Aug 24

Idaho                     Idaho QSO Party                           Mar 9

                      7th Call Area QSO Party              May 4

Illinois                      Illinois QSO Party                           Oct 20

Indiana                     Indiana QSO Party              May 4 

Iowa                     Iowa QSO Party                           Sep 21

Kansas                     Kansas QSO Party                           Aug 24

Kentucky        Kentucky QSO Party                      Jun 1

Louisiana        Louisiana QSO Party              Apr 6 

Maine                     New England QSO Party              May 4

         Maine QSO Party                           Sep 28 

Manitoba        Canadian Prairies QSO Party May 11

Maryland        Maryland-DC QSO Party              Aug 10

Massachusetts        New England QSO Party              May 4

Michigan        Michigan QSO Party              Apr 13 (tentative)

Minnesota        Minnesota QSO Party              Feb 3

Mississippi             Mississippi QSO Party              Apr 7 

Missouri                  Missouri QSO Party              Apr 7 (tentative)

Montana       7th Call Area QSO Party              May 4

Nebraska       Nebraska QSO Party              Apr 6 (tentative)

Nevada                    Nevada QSO Party                           Oct 12

                     7th Call Area QSO Party              May 4

New Hampshire     New England QSO Party              May 4

                     New Hampshire QSO Party Sep 21 

New Jersey       New Jersey QSO Party              Sep 21

New Mexico       New Mexico QSO Party              Apr 13

Nevada                   Nevada QSO Party                           Oct 12

New York       New York QSO Party              Oct 19

North Carolina       North Carolina QSO Party              Feb 25 

North Dakota       North Dakota QSO Party              Apr 13

Nova Scotia       NSARA Contest                           Mar 3 (tentative)

Ohio                    Ohio QSO Party                           Aug 24

Oklahoma       Oklahoma QSO Party              Mar 9

Ontario                    Ontario QSO Party                           Apr 20

Oregon                    7th Call Area QSO Party                  May 4

Pennsylvania       Pennsylvania QSO Party              Oct 12 

Quebec       Quebec QSO Party                           Apr 21 (tentative)

Rhode Island       New England QSO Party              May 4 

Saskatchewan       Canadian Prairies QSO Party May 11

South Carolina       South Carolina QSO Party              Feb 24

South Dakota       South Dakota QSO Party              Oct 12

Tennessee       Tennessee QSO Party              Sep 1 

Texas                    Texas QSO Party                           Sep 21

Utah                    7th Call Area QSO Party              May 4

Vermont       New England QSO Party              May 4

                     Vermont QSO Party              Feb 3 

Virginia       Virginia QSO Party                           Mar 16 

Washington       Washington State Salmon Run Sep 21

                     7th Call Area QSO Party              May 4 

West Virginia         West Virginia QSO Party              Jun 15

Wisconsin              Wisconsin QSO Party              Mar 10

Wyoming       7th Call Area QSO Party              May 4

 

 

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Mark’s Almanac

 

January is named for the Roman god Janus, the god of gates and doors, and so openings and beginnings.

 

January receives more sunlight than December, but the equilibrium between incoming solar heat and the heat radiated into space by the northern snowfields does not peak until late January and early February, six weeks after winter solstice.  So, the weather continues to cool, with January 8 – 20 being the coldest part of the year.

 

Typically, in January there is a 53% chance of up to one inch of snow and a 25% chance of over one inch of snow.

 

There is has been less snowfall this year than normal, as usually we see except for the southern tip of Nova Scotia, all of Canada and roughly one half of the Continental US, or “CONUS”, are usually covered with snow.  Canada’s Hudson’s Bay is frozen, as is the ocean water between Baffin Island and Greenland.

 

Current Snow Depth (usda.gov)

 

Barometric pressure is highest in January.

 

Though the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially ended November 30, every now and then Mother Nature will give us a surprise as there have been 5 tropical storms and 3 Category 1 hurricanes from 1851 to 2023. This includes an unnamed hurricane in 1938 in the Eastern Atlantic & Hurricane Alex which in 2016 effected Bermuda and the Azores and a subtropical storm that briefly spun up on January 16, 2023

 

Birmingham January climatology per Intellicast is monthly rainfall 5.45” inches and snowfall 0.7”. Average high temperature is 53 degrees and the average low 32 degrees.  Record high of 81 degrees occurred in 1941 and a record low of -6 degrees in 1985.

Barometric pressure is highest in January.

 

Days grow longer as the Sun’s angle above the noonday horizon steadily increases from 33.5 degrees at the beginning of the month to 39.2 degrees at the month’s end.  Daylight increases from 9 hours 59 minutes on January 1 to 10 hours 33 minutes on January 31.

 

Sunrise and sunset times for Birmingham are:

 

January 1 Sunrise 6:52 AM   Sunset 4:50 PM

January 15 Sunrise 6:51 AM   Sunset 5:02 PM 

January 31 Sunrise 6:44 AM   Sunset 5:17 PM

 

Looking skyward, at the beginning of the month, the Sun, magnitude -26.8 is in Sagittarius, the Archer

 

Mercury, magnitude 1.5, in Ophiuchus, The Serpent Bearer, is lost in the glow at the start of the month, but emerges in the morning sky on January 3, rising at 5:15 AM, 1 hour 34 minutes before the Sun and reaches an altitude of 11° before fading from view as dawn breaks at 6:20 AM.

 

Look for him about three fists at arm’s length lower left of Venus.

 

On January 7 he will reach “dichotomy” or be half lit.

 

He will reach highest altitude in the sky of 17° on January 8 and his greatest separation from the Sun, or “Greatest Western Elongation” on January 12.  This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.

 

By midmonth he will rise at 5:12 AM, 1 hour 37 minutes before the Sun and reaches an altitude of 12° before fading from view as dawn breaks at 6:25 AM.

 

He will disappear from view, being lost in the glow of the Sun on January 23.

 

Venus, magnitude –4.1, in Libra, The Scales, the brilliant “Morning Star”, is moving receding towards the Sunrise.

 

At the first of the month, she rises at 3:56 AM CST, 2 hours and 53 minutes before the Sun, and reaches an altitude of 25° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at 6:32 AM CST.

 

By the 15th she will rise at 4:22 AM CST, 2 hours and 27 minutes before the Sun, reaching an altitude of 21° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:32 AM CST.

 

By months end, she will rise around 4:46 AM CST, 1 hours and 56 minutes before the Sun and reach an altitude of 16° above the south-eastern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks at around 6:26 AM CST.

 

Earth and her Moon, magnitude -4.0, as viewed from the Sun, is in Canis Minor, The Lesser Dog.

 

Earth will reach her closest distance to the Sun on January 2, at 6:38 PM CST, when the planet will be 0.98329 Astronomical Units or 91,403,000 miles from the Sun

 

Mars, with his moons Phobos and Deimos, magnitude +1.4, in Ophiuchus, The Serpent Bearer

is lost in the glow of the Sun.

 

The Autumnal Equinox for Mars Northern hemisphere will occur January 12.

 

Dwarf Planet Ceres, magnitude +8.9, is in Ophiuchus, The Serpent Bearer.

 

Jupiter, and his 95 moons and (invisible from Earth) ring, magnitude -2.5, is in Aries, The Ram, 

Is an early evening object.

 

At the beginning of the month, he will become visible around 5:06 PM CST, 53° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 7:15 PM, 68° above the southern horizon and will continue to be observable until around 1:09 AM, when he sinks below 7° above the western horizon. 

 

By midmonth he becomes accessible around 5:17 PM CST, 64° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 6:22 PM CST, 68° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 12:16 AM CST, when he sinks below 7° above the western horizon.

 

By the end of the month, he will become accessible around 5:32 PM CST, 69° above the south-eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness and will continue to be observable until around 12:01 AM, when he sinks below 7° above the western horizon.

 

Saturn, magnitude +1.0, and his 146 moons and extensive debris ring system, is in Aquarius, The Water Bearer, will soon disappear behind the Sun.

 

At the first of the month, he becomes accessible around 5:24 PM CST, 36° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will continue to be observable until around 8:55 PM, when he sinks below 11° above the south-western horizon.

 

By midmonth he will become accessible around 5:36 PM CST, 27° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then sink towards the south-western horizon, setting at 8:07 PM.

 

At months end he becomes visible around 5:51 PM, CST, at his highest point in the sky, 17° above the southern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness.  He will continue to be observable until around  7:12 PM CST, when he sinks below 11° above the south-western horizon.

 

Uranus, magnitude +5.7, and his 27 moons and ring, in Aries, The Ram, is currently visible as an evening object, becoming visible around 5:53 PM CST, 55° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will then reach its highest point in the sky at 8:09 PM, 73° above the southern horizon. He will continue to be observable until around 1:10 AM, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

 

By midmonth he will become visible around 6:03 PM CST, at an altitude of 67° above the eastern horizon, as dusk fades into darkness. He will reach his highest point in the sky at 7:13 PM CST, 73° above the southern horizon.  He will continue to be observable until around 12:14 AM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

 

At month’s end he becomes visible around 6:17 PM CST, at an altitude of 73° above the eastern horizon at his highest point in the sky at. He will continue to be observable until around 12:59 AM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

 

Neptune, magnitude 7.8, and his 14 moons and ring, in Pisces, The Fish, is currently visible in the evening sky.  At the first of the month, he becomes accessible via binoculars and telescopes at 5:53 PM CST, at an altitude of 49° above the south-western horizon as dusk fades into darkness. He will fade from view around 10:39 PM  when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

 

At midmonth he will become accessible around 6:03 PM CST, 41° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will continue to be observable until around 9:45 PM, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.  

 

At the end of the month, he becomes accessible around 6:17 CST PM, 28° above the south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. He will continue to be observable until around 8:44 PM CST, when he sinks below 21° above the western horizon.

 

Dwarf Planet Pluto, with his five moons shines at a dim 14.5 in Sagittarius, The Archer.

 

Dwarf Planet 136108 Haumea, her ring and moons Hiʻiaka and Namaka, shines at a faint magnitude of 17.4 in Bootes, The Herdsman.

 

Dwarf Planet 136472 Makemake with his moon S/2015 (136472) 1, nicknamed MK1 by the discovery team, shines faintly at magnitude +17.2 in Coma Berenices.

 

Dwarf Planet 136199 Eris and her moon Dysnomia, originally referred to as Xena and Gabrielle, is barely visible in the most powerful telescopes at magnitude +18.7 in Cetus the Sea Monster.

 

At least six additional bodies with the preliminary criteria for identifying dwarf planets, and though not “officially” declared as such, are generally called dwarf planets by astronomers as well.

 

90482 Orcus, and his moon Vanth shines at magnitude 19.1 between Hydra and Sextans, The Sextant.

 

50000 Quaoar, and his moon Waywot shines at magnitude +18.6 in Scutum, The Shield.

 

90377 Sedna, the coldest, and at one time, the most distant known place in the Solar System, glows faintly at magnitude +20.8 in Taurus, The Bull.

 

225088 Gonggong, originally nicknamed Snow White by the discovery team, and his moon Xiangli glows dimly at +21.5 magnitude in Aquarius, The Water Bearer.

 

2014 UZ224 nicknamed “DeeDee” for “Distant Dwarf” is 8.5 billion miles from the Sun, at magnitude +23.0 in Eridanus, The River.

 

120347 Salacia, and her moon Actaea glows at magnitude 20.7 in Andromeda, The Chained Woman. Salacia is considered a “borderline” Dwarf Planet. Some astronomers saying she “most certainly is a Dwarf Planet”, while others disagreeing based on her size, saying she is too small to have compressed into a fully solid body, to have been resurfaced, or to have collapsed into “hydrostatic equilibrium”, that is to assume spherical shape like a planet.

 

This dark world lies beyond the orbit of Neptune, orbiting 4,164,420,166 miles from the Sun. 

 

Currently the most distant observable known object in the Solar System, Asteroid 2018 AG37, nicknamed “FarFarOut”, which is 12.2 billion miles or 18 hours, 14 minutes and 33 seconds from Earth, , glows at a barely detectable +25.5 magnitude in Lynx. 

 

The most distant man-made object, and the most distant known object in the Solar System Voyager 1, still operating after 46 years, 3 months and 23 days is 15,144,718,855 miles, or in Light Time, 22 hours, 34 minutes and 59 Seconds from Earth as of 10:27 AM, December 28, 2023, sailing 38,027 miles per hour through Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.

 

There are 1,308,871 known asteroids as of December 28, 2023, per NASA.  

 

5566 planets beyond our solar system have now been confirmed as of December 18, 2023 per NASA’s Exoplanet Archive http://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/

 

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on January 1, when she will be 251.600 miles from Earth.

 

Last Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Eastern side illuminated, will occur January 3, at 9:32 PM CST or 03:32 UTC, January 4.

 

During a Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

The Quadrantids Meteor Shower will occur Tuesday & Wednesday, January 3 & 4.  This is an above average shower producing between 40 to 100 meteors per hour radiating from the constellation Bootes, in the area near the end of the handle of the Big Dipper and the head of Draco the Dragon.

 

The shower runs annually from January 1-5. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. The waning gibbous moon will block out some of the fainter meteors, but if you are patient this could still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

 

This shower favors the Northern Hemisphere because its radiant point, or the point where the meteors appear to originate in the sky, is so far north on the sky’s dome.

 

This shower is believed to be produced by dust grains from burnt out comet 2003 EH1, which may also be the remainder of comet c/1490 Y1, which was lost to history after a prominent meteor shower was observed in 1490, possibly due to the breakup of the comet.

 

New Moon occurs January 11 at 5:59 AM CST or 11:59 UTC. The Moon will on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

 

The Moon will be at Perigee or its closest approach to Earth on January 13, when she will be 225,100 miles from Earth.

 

First Quarter Moon, or when the moon has only the Western side illuminated, will occur January 17 at 9:53 PM CST or 03:53UTC on January 18.

 

During a Quarter Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -10.0.

 

Full Moon will occur January 25, at 11:55 AM CST or 17:55 UTC. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated.

 

January’s Full Moon is “Wolf Moon” in Native American folklore.  This was also called “Wulf-Monath” or “Wolf Month” by the Saxons, because at this full Moon, packs of wolves howled in hunger outside of the villages. 

 

It has also been called “Old Moon” and “Moon After Yule”.

 

During a Full Moon the Moon’s magnitude is -12.7.

 

The Moon will be at Apogee or its farthest distance from Earth on January 29, when she will be 252,141 miles from Earth.

 

The biggest astronomical event of 2024 will be the Great North American Eclipse, which is a total solar eclipse that will occur April 8, 2024.

 

The total eclipse will be visible inside strip of land approximately 118 miles wide, starting from the western coast of Mexico, passing through central Texas, Arkansas, southeast Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, the northwestern tip of Pennsylvania, New York, northern Vermont and New Hampshire and ending in Maine, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland Island.

 

Alabama will have a deep partial eclipse.

 

More information will come as the event draws near.

 

 

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This month’s meeting will be on January 9 at 7 PM at the National Weather Service Forecast Office at the Shelby County Airport.

 

I hope to see you there!

 

Mark Wells

Editor / ALERT Newsletter