Thursday, January 30, 2025

Uranus Stands Still (evening)

On Thursday, January 30, the motion of the distant, blue-green planet Uranus through the background stars of eastern Aries will slow to a stop - completing a westward retrograde loop that it began in early September. After tonight,
the planet will begin to creep eastward again. At magnitude +5.7, Uranus can
be seen in binoculars and backyard telescopes, and even with unaided eyes
under dark skies. In mid-evening, the planet's small, blue-green dot will be shining less than a fist's diameter to the lower right (or 8 degrees to the celestial southwest) of the bright Pleiades star cluster, Messier 45. Place
the medium-bright star Botein (Delta Arietis) in the upper right part of your binoculars field of view and Uranus will be the dull blue "star" positioned about half the field to that Botein's lower left. Once you have identified Uranus, enlarge the planet with your telescope.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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