Astronomy: January Sightings
2022
Curriculum Materials Center
William Paterson University

Just a few sightings
- January's New Moon will be on the 2nd making it easier to see faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters with no moonlight to interfere.
- The Quadrantids Meteor Shower with up to 40 meteors per hour at its peak can be seen best in a dark location after midnight January 3-4.
- Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation of 19.2 degrees from the sun so look for that planet low in the western sky at sunset on January 7th.
- January 17th brings us the full moon known by early Native American Tribes as the Wolf Moon.
Resources for Lesson Planning in the PreK-12 Classroom
Almanac: The month of January 2022: holidays, Fun facts, Folklore
Astronomy: Two stars will merge in 2022 and explode into red fury.
Digitalisopen astronomy curricula.
Elementary School Science: Stormy weather: A lesson plan about storms.
Geology.com: Astronomy and space classroom activities and lesson plans.
Go Astronomy: Astronomy events.
NASA: Eclipse website/calendar.
National Science Foundation: astronomy & Astrophysics classroom resources.
NEMA LEARN: Stormy fingerpainting.
Science Buddies; Astronomy lesson plans.
University of Colorado: Virtual Teaching resources.
Websites and APPS for Stargazing & Astronomy
Apps can be downloaded from Google Play on your phone or computer.
Skyview (Free Version)(App)
Star Tracker(App)
CMC Library Resources
Mercury by Seymour Simon Describes what is known about Mercury from photographs taken by Project Mariner. Click on the book image for catalog entry | The Moon = La Luna by Elisa Peters A brief introduction to the Earth's moon including moon landings and phases. Click on the book image for catalog entry. | A Big MooncakeReimagines the cycles of the moon as a mother bakes a Big Moon Cake and Little Star begins to nibble at it every night. |
Mercury by Seymour Simon
Click on the book image for catalog entry
The Moon = La Luna by Elisa Peters
Click on the book image for catalog entry.
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors by Rosalind MistDiscusses facts about non-planetary bodies in the solar system. | Caroline's Comets: A True Story by Emily Arnold McCullyCaroline was the first woman to discover a comet and became the first woman officially employed as a scientist by the King of England. | Space by Simon Holland Describes the earth, sun, moon, planets of the solar system, and other outer space phenomena. Click on the book image for catalog entry |
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors by Rosalind Mist
Discusses facts about non-planetary bodies in the solar system.
Caroline's Comets: A True Story by Emily Arnold McCully
Caroline was the first woman to discover a comet and became the first woman officially employed as a scientist by the King of England.
Stargazing by Jen WangWhen Moon's family moves in next door to Christine's, Moon goes from unlikely friend to best friend and they make plans to enter the school talent show. | Shooting Stars by Kristen RajczakExplains what shooting stars are, how they are formed, and when the best times to watch them are. | Go Otto, Go! by David MilgrimOtto the robot builds a spaceship to take him home. |
Stargazing by Jen Wang
When Moon's family moves in next door to Christine's, Moon goes from unlikely friend to best friend and they make plans to enter the school talent show.
Shooting Stars by Kristen Rajczak
Explains what shooting stars are, how they are formed, and when the best times to watch them are.