Solar eclipses:

Lunar eclipses:
First Lunar Eclipse March 23 will be penumbral and will last from 09:38 to 13:56 UT. During the eclipse, the Moon will pass to the north of the earth's shadow - see Fig.3.

The next immersion of the moon in the earth's penumbra will occur August 18, but in fact it will be practically touching - the Moon will pass along the outermost parts of the penumbra from 09:30 to 09:56 UT. So absolutely no change in the appearance of the moon is even expected. It is interesting that on many astrosites this eclipse is not even mentioned - Fig.4...
And finally third lunar eclipse of the year - September 16. Again, only penumbral, but this time fully accessible for observations from Russia - Fig.5.
In these diagrams, everything is "on the contrary" - the dark gray areas are where the Sun shines. And white and light gray are the zones of visibility of the eclipse. Transit of Mercury across the disk of the Sun:
We've been waiting again!
The next passage of Mercury across the disk of the Sun will occur on a holiday (day off) for the Russians - May 9, 2016 (10 years after the previous November 8, 2006).
And although the planet itself is moving faster than Venus, but the distance to it is greater. Therefore, the total duration of the phenomenon will reach 7.5 hours (from 11h12.5m to 18h42.7m UT)! During this time, gaps are likely even in cloudy weather, so be sure to watch!
The phenomenon will be fully accessible to observers from the most western parts Russia (the farther to the east - the worse, in some places the Sun will already have time to go beyond the horizon - see details in planetarium programs or on the net). moving on reverse movement, Mercury will pass across the solar disk from left to right, slightly south of its center (see figure).
Note that the Russians will have another chance to see Mercury on the solar disk only in November 2032 (not counting those who will be able to get to the Atlantic in 2019)... Coatings:
Part by part occultations of stars and planets by the Moon, the coming year will give earthlings several coverings of bright planets.
There will be two occultations of Venus: April 6 in western Africa (for Russians in the daytime sky - from western borders to Baikal) and September 3, when inhabitants of the vicinity of Baikal will already in the best conditions!
The next episode will start on June 3rd. occultations of Mercury(03.06; 04.08; 29.09). And from July 9 - a series occultations of Jupiter(09.07; 06.08; 02.09; 30.09), but all these coatings are not visible from Russia...
The only thing we can try to observe is another series occultations of Neptune(for the first time since 2008). So, coverage on June 25 will be able to see residents of the west of the European part of Russia; July 23 (USA); August 19 - D.Vostok; September 15 - again European part Russia; October 13 - the very Far East and Alaska; November 9 - to the west and north of Lake Baikal; On December 6, the east of the USA and Greenland... Note that Neptune with a magnitude of about 7m is far from being a gift. All the moon-covered stars in our monthly calendars are much brighter...
In 2016 the series of occultations by the Moon will continue main star constellation Taurus - Aldebaran(and surrounding stars open cluster Hyades). However, compared to last year, from the territory of Russia to dark sky it will be possible to see only two coverages of Aldebaran out of 13: May 8 (in the Far East) and November 15 (south of Middle Asia, Siberia and Far East)...
For more experienced observers, the page on which I again collected the most interesting occultations of distant stars by asteroids(calculated shadows from which will pass through the territory of our country)
And if you came here already in 2016 - try to look at the USNO Astronomical Almanac coverage page - many online services open only from the beginning of the year. Major planets: Ephemerides of the main planets of the solar system are available from a special page.
For ours northern latitudes conditions for observing planets in 2016 can hardly be called favorable. The thing is that among the three "kings of the night sky": Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, only Jupiter(the conditions of observation of which are also deteriorating every year). Throughout the season, the planet moves through the constellations Leo and Virgo, passing the opposition point on March 8 (magnitude -2.5m and an angular diameter of more than 44"), and the line celestial equator- at the end of September. We can say that since the fall of 2016, everything outer planets will be better seen from southern hemisphere Earth.
But we are waiting for another Mars opposition, which will occur on May 22 in the constellation of Scorpio. In another week, on May 31, the distance between Earth and Mars will be minimal and equal to 0.503 a.e. In this case, the brightness of the planet will reach -2.1m, and its angular diameter will be the largest in a year - 18.6". It is a pity that even maximum height Mars above the horizon in our latitudes will never exceed 15 degrees ...
The same can be said about Saturn, whose confrontation will take place on June 3 ( southern part Ophiuchus), and the apparent diameter of the planet will be close to the "Martian" - 18.44 ". Only the famous rings of Saturn save the situation, opened so wide that they completely cover the southern edge of the planet's disk and even protrude slightly above the northern one (their size will reach almost 40").
On the morning of January 9 just 5 arc minutes north of Saturn will pass a beauty Venus(36° elnagation), for which the coming year is also not sugar for observations (in the sense that the maximum morning elongation of Venus was on October 26 last year, and the maximum evening elongation will come only on January 12, 2017)...
Mercury always difficult to observe. But this year we will have a rare opportunity to see it directly against the Sun (see above)! Minor planets
You can find ephemerides of the brightest minor planets (asteroids) in my monthly calendars.
AT previous years I constantly referred to my special page, where you can clearly see the light curves (and not only) of the first hundred asteroids from 2005 to the beginning of 2016. Unfortunately, there is neither the strength nor the means to continue this work - therefore the only way out- turn to the help of the network... Search by keywords"minor planets at unusually favorable elongations 2016" - by at least in last years such articles-lists were published in the Minor Planet Bulletin ... There you can also get a lot of other useful information, including "approaches of minor planets with deep-sky objects". It is worth looking at the server of the Association of Moon and Planetary Observers (ALPO) ...
The only alternative would be my special selection of "non-setting asteroids" for 2016. In the sense that amateurs with CCDs (especially in cooperation) can "in just a couple of nights" get scientifically significant results(light curve = period of rotation of the asteroid around its own axis). Comets:
Comets in the coming year will not be very good, but not very bad either. And here's what we already know:
At the beginning of the year, a comet can reach magnitude 5, discovered back in 2013 during a survey of the sky at the American station Catalina (comet Catalina C/2013 US10). It can be noted that this comet in January quickly makes its way to north pole of the world and remains beyond the horizon until the end of its visibility in amateur telescopes (Lizard, Perseus, Charioteer) ...
In early March, a comet can exceed magnitude 10 P/Ikeya-Murakami (P/2010 V1) and also in the night sky not far from the "Lion's head".
In May-June, a comet can "flare up" in the morning sky up to 6-7 magnitudes PANSTARRS (C/2013X1). True, for this comet, observers from the southern hemisphere of the Earth will find themselves in more favorable conditions.
In November - December another comet PANSTARRS (C/2015 O1) promises to get closer to 8m (chanterelle and swan). But this comet will reach its maximum brightness (about 6.5m) only in mid-February 2017 ... And one more old friend - the comet Honda-Mrkos-Paidusakova (45Р)- at the very end of the year, it can also flare up to 6-7 magnitudes low in the New Year's evening dawn.
Accurately predicting the brightness of comets in advance is a very unfavorable occupation. So let's wait and see! New and supernovae:
Outbursts of New Stars in our Galaxy occur several times a year and in recent times Quite often they are discovered by amateur astronomers. Mostly photographically, and often with very modest means (even ordinary digital cameras). Accurate forecasts here simply cannot be. But, to keep abreast of events - I advise

Dear astronomy lovers!

The observer's calendar congratulates all lovers of astronomy and not only on the coming year 2016 and wishes a clear sky, successful observations, new discoveries and new knowledge about the universe! KN is your guide to observations in 2016!

Web version of the Astronomical calendar for 2016 at http://saros70.narod.ru/index.htm and on the website of Sergei Guryanov

Information about other astronomical phenomena on more a long period in the Short Astronomical Calendar for 2016 - 2050 and the Short Astronomical Calendar for 2051 - 2200

Additional information - in the topic Astronomical calendar at the Astroforum http://www.astronomy.ru/forum/index.php/topic,19722.1260.html More detailed coverage of nearby phenomena in the Astronomical week at http://www.astronet.ru/

REVIEW OF THE MONTH

Selected astronomical events of the month (Moscow time):

January 1 - comet Catalina (C / 2013 US10) near the star Arcturus in naked eye visibility, January 3 - Earth at the perihelion of its orbit at a distance of 0.983 AU. from the Sun, January 4 - the maximum action of the Quadrantida meteor shower (120 meteors per hour up to 6m at the zenith), January 5 - Mercury in standing with the transition from direct to backward motion, January 7 - Venus, Saturn and the Moon near Antares, January 8 - Jupiter moves from direct to retrograde motion, January 9 - Venus passes 5 arc minutes north of Saturn, January 11 - end of the evening visibility of Mercury, January 14 - Mercury in lower conjunction with the Sun, January 15 - long-period variable star U Cetus near maximum brightness ( 6.5m), January 16 - occultation by the Moon (Ф = 0.48) of the star mu Pisces (4.8m), January 17 - the beginning of the morning visibility of Mercury, January 18 - long-period variable stars R Crow and W Andromeda near the brightness maximum (6 ,5m), January 20 - occultation by the Moon (Ф = 0.82) of the star Aldebaran (+0.9m) in visibility in North America, January 24 - long-period variable stars RS Libra and RS Cygnus near the brightness maximum (6.5m), Jan 25 - 2 second coverage of the star HIP 1376 2 (8,1m) from the constellation Cetus by the asteroid (413) Edburga in visibility in central regions The European part of Russia, January 25 - Mercury in standing with the transition from retrograde to direct motion, January 31 - Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter form a parade of all the bright planets solar system with the moon joining them.

Sightseeing journey through the starry sky of January in the journal Nebosvod for January 2009 (http://astronet.ru/db/msg/1236921).

Sun moves through the constellation Sagittarius until January 20, and then passes into the constellation Capricorn. The declination of the central luminary is gradually increasing, and the length of the day is increasing, reaching 8 hours 32 minutes by the end of the month. latitude of Moscow. midday height Sun for a month at this latitude will increase from 11 to 16 degrees. January is not the best month for observing the Sun, however, to observe new formations on the surface daylight You can use a telescope or binoculars. But we must remember that the visual study of the Sun through a telescope or other optical instruments it is necessary (!!) to carry out with the use of a solar filter.

The moon will start moving in the sky of 2016 near Jupiter and the star Beta Virgo (3.6m) at a phase of 0.61. Continuing along this constellation, the lunar oval will gradually turn into a half-disk until last quarter, which will come on January 2 near Spica. With this star, the Moon will approach as close as possible to 4 degrees on January 3, and on the same day will pass a degree north of Mars at a phase of 0.36. Continuing to reduce the phase, the lunar crescent on January 4 will pass into the constellation of Libra, and on January 6, at a phase of about 0.1, it will visit the constellation of Scorpio, then passing into the constellation of Ophiuchus. Here is a thin sickle on January 7 will pass north Venus and Jupiter, and will rush to Sagittarius, where it will take the new moon phase. January 10. Having entered the evening sky, the thinnest crescent on January 11 in the constellation of Capricorn will approach Mercury, ending visibility. Increasing the phase and rising higher in the evening sky, the waxing Moon will cross the border with the constellation Aquarius around midnight on January 13 and will approach Neptune at a phase of 0.15. Entering the possession of the constellation Pisces on January 14, the increasing crescent moon will rush to Uranus, with which it will approach on January 16 at a phase of 0.42 .. The Moon will take the phase of the first quarter the next day, while still in the constellation Pisces. The lunar half-disk will move into the constellation Aries around midnight on January 18, but will not stay here for long, and on January 19 it will begin its journey through the constellation Taurus. On January 20, another occultation of the star Aldebaran by the Moon (Ф = 0.82) will occur here, with visibility this time in North America. Continuing to increase the phase and turning from an oval into a bright disk, the Moon will visit the constellation of Orion on January 21 and move into the constellation of Gemini, where it will stay from January 22 to 23. In the constellation of Cancer on January 24, the full moon will come and the bright night star will strongly illuminate the sky, leaving only bright planets and stars for observation. On January 25, the Moon will enter the constellation Leo. pass south Regula, and until January 28 will be in the territory of this constellation (with entry into the constellation Sextans). Having approached Jupiter on this day at a phase of 0.85, the lunar oval will pass into the constellation Virgo, where on January 30 it will again pass north of Spica, reducing the phase to 0.65. At the very end of the described period, having decreased to a half-disk, the night luminary will pass into the constellation Libra, and will end its journey across the January sky at a phase of 0.52 near Mars and the star alpha Libra.

Major planets solar system.

Mercury moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Capricorn until January 8 (January 5, changing the movement to backward), and then passes into the constellation Sagittarius. In the first decade of the month, Mercury is visible in the evening sky. You can find it against the backdrop of dawn near the southwestern horizon in the form of a fairly bright star with a magnitude of -0.4m. A half-disk is visible through the telescope, turning into a sickle, the apparent dimensions of which increase from 7 to 9, while the phase and brightness decrease. During evening visibility, the phase will decrease from 0.44 to 0.1, and the brightness from -0.4m to +2m. On January 14, Mercury will pass inferior conjunction with the Sun, and the next day it will approach the Earth as close as possible (up to 0.667 AU). After the lower conjunction, the planet will move into the morning sky and appear above the southeastern horizon at the beginning of the third decade of the month. The brightness and phase will increase, and the apparent dimensions will decrease exactly the opposite, compared with the evening visibility. Through a telescope it will be possible to observe a crescent turning into a half-disk. On January 25, Mercury will again change direction, describing a loop among the stars and moving from backward to forward movement.

Venus moves in the same direction with the Sun along the constellation Scorpio, on January 5 passing into the constellation Ophiuchus, and on January 20 into the constellation Sagittarius. The planet is observed (in the form of the brightest star) in the morning in the eastern part of the sky for two hours. The angular distance to the west of the Sun will decrease from 39 to 32 degrees in a month. The apparent diameter of Venus decreases from 14.3 to 12.3, and the phase increases from 0.77 to 0.85 at a brightness of about -4.0m. Such a brilliance allows you to see Venus with the naked eye even during the day. A white oval without details can be observed through a telescope. Formations on the surface of Venus (in the cloud cover) can be captured using various light filters.

Mars moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellation Virgo, on January 17, passing into the constellation Libra. The planet is observed for about 6 hours in the night and morning sky above the southeastern and southern horizons. The brightness of the planet increases from +1.3m to +0.8m, and the apparent diameter increases from 5.6 to 6.8. A tiny disk is visible through the telescope, the details on which can be visually detected only in a telescope with a lens diameter of 100 mm or more, and, moreover, photographically with subsequent processing on a computer.

Jupiter moves in the same direction with the Sun along the constellation Leo (near the border with the constellation Virgo), and on January 8 it will reverse its movement. gas giant observed in the night and morning sky (in the eastern and southern parts of the sky), and its visibility increases from 9 to 11 hours a month. There is another favorable period of visibility of Jupiter. The angular diameter of the big planet The solar system gradually increases from 39.0 to 42.4 at a brightness of about -2m. The disk of the planet is distinguishable even with binoculars, and with a small telescope, stripes and other details are clearly visible on the surface. Four large satellites are already visible through binoculars, and through a telescope you can observe the shadows from the satellites on the planet's disk. Information about satellite configurations is in this CN.

Saturn moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Ophiuchus. You can observe the ringed planet against the background of the dawn at the southeastern horizon, and its visibility by the end of the month will increase from one and a half to three hours. The brightness of the planet adheres to the value +0.5m with the apparent diameter increasing from 15.3 to 15.8. With a small telescope, you can observe the ring and moon Titan, as well as some of the other brightest moons. The visible dimensions of the planet's ring are on average 40x16 with an inclination of 26 degrees to the observer.

Uranus(5.9m, 3.4.) moves in one direction along the constellation Pisces (near the star Epsilon Psc with magnitude 4.2m). The planet is observed in the evening and at night, reducing the duration of visibility from 9 to 6 hours (in the middle latitudes). Uranus, rotating on its side, is easily detected with binoculars and search maps, and a telescope from 80 mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 80 times and a transparent sky will help to make out the disk of Uranus. With the naked eye, the planet can be seen during the periods of new moons on a dark clear skies, and such an opportunity will present itself in the first half of the month. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness less than 13m.

Neptune(7.9m, 2.3) moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Aquarius between the stars lambda Aqr (3.7m) and sigma Aqr (4.8m). The planet can be observed in the evenings (5 - 2 hours in middle latitudes) in the southwestern part of the sky, not high above the horizon. You will need binoculars to look for it. star charts in KN for January or the Astronomical calendar for 2016, and the disk is distinguishable through a telescope from 100mm in diameter with a magnification of more than 100x (with a transparent sky). Photographically, Neptune can be captured with the simplest camera (even still) with a shutter speed of 10 seconds or more. The satellites of Neptune have a brightness less than 13m.

From comets, visible in January from the territory of our country, the estimated brightness of about 11m and brighter will have at least two comets. The brightest comet of the month, Catalina (C/2013 US10), rises north through the constellations of Bootes, Canis Hounds, Ursa Major and Minor, Draco and Giraffe with a maximum magnitude of 4.9m (visible to the naked eye). Another periodic comet P/Tempel (10P) moves to the east along the constellations of Capricorn and Aquarius, and its brightness decreases from 11m to 12m. It is observed in the evening sky above the southwestern horizon. Details of other comets of the month (with charts and brightness forecasts ) are available at http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html and observations are available at http://cometbase.net/.

Among the asteroids the brightest in January will be Vesta (7.9m) and Euterpe (8.7m). Vesta moves along the constellation of Cetus, and Euterpe - along the constellation of Gemini and Taurus. Both asteroids are visible in the evening and night sky. Maps of the paths of these and other asteroids (comets) are given in the appendix to the KN (file mapkn012016.pdf). Information on occultations of stars by asteroids at http://asteroidoccultation.com/IndexAll.htm.

From relatively bright (up to 8m photo) long-period variable stars (observed from the territory of Russia and the CIS) the brightness maximum this month according to AAVSO data was reached: RU HUA (8.4m) on January 1, S DEL (8.8m) on January 4, U UMI (8.2m) on January 8, U CVN (7.7m) January 10, U CET (7.5m) January 15, R CET (8.1m) January 16, T UMA (7.7m) January 16, ST SGR (9.0m) January 16, R CRV (7.5m) Jan 18, W AND (7.4m) Jan 19, V CMI (8.7m) Jan 24, R CYG (7.5m) Jan 20, S AQR (8.3m) Jan 21, T CEN (5.5m) Jan 24, RS LIB (7.5m) Jan 25, RS CYG (7.2m) Jan 29, RZ PEG (8.8m) Jan 29. More information at http://www.aavso.org/.

Among the major meteor showers On January 4 at 6 o'clock UTC, the Quadrantides (ZHR= 120) from the constellation Bootes will be at their maximum. The moon during the period of the maximum of this shower is close to the last quarter and will not be a particular hindrance to observations.

Clear skies and successful observations!