Monthly Night Sky information provided by Chris Vaughan (@Astrogeoguy) at Starry Night Education (@StarryNightEdu).
The Geminids, one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year, is active from November 19 to December 24 annually while Earth passes through the cloud of sand-sized grains dropped by the asteroid designated 3200 Phaethon. The number of Geminids meteors will gradually ramp up to a peak in the wee hours of Saturday […]
On Friday evening, December 13, the orbital motion of the bright, nearly full moon will carry it through the Pleiades star cluster (aka Messier 45, Subaru, and the Seven Sisters) for some parts of the world. While bright moonlight overwhelms fainter objects, viewing the encounter during evening twilight, especially through binoculars, will make a pretty, […]
Shortly after the very bright moon clears the rooftops in the east after dusk on Saturday, December 14, the brilliant planet Jupiter will rise to join it. The duo will make a lovely photo opportunity when composed with some nice foreground scenery. As the moon and Jupiter climb the eastern sky, the bright winter stars […]
The December full moon will occur at 4:02 a.m. EST, 1:02 a.m. PST, or 09:02 GMT on Sunday, December 15. Traditionally known as the Oak Moon, Cold Moon, and Long Nights Moon, it always shines in or near the stars of Taurus and Gemini. The Ojibwe of the Great Lakes region call the December full […]
Look low in the eastern sky after dusk on Monday, December 16 to see the bright, waning gibbous moon gleaming just to the right (or celestial southwest) of Gemini’s brightest stars. Golden Pollux and the brighter, whiter double star Castor above it should still be visible against the moon’s glare. Binoculars (orange circle) will reveal […]