December Skies - 2024
What's happening in the night sky in December 2024?
Throughout this month, the Geminid Meteor Shower is the main attraction, but you won't want to miss the appearance of Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury.
Parade of Planets
Early in the month, Venus will be a bright evening star (5:00–6:30 PM) with a magnitude of –4.2.
Jupiter will form a conjunction with the Moon on the morning of the 7th, when it is in opposition and floats beneath the Moon on the 6th.
It will now rise at 9:30 p.m., at its brightest of the year, and hover near the almost full Moon on the 14th.
You can also get a glimpse of Mercury this month. See the small planet low in the southeast at dawn on the 6th; it will be visible until the 15th. Around dawn on the 28th, Mercury is situated to the left of the crescent Moon.
December 13 - The Geminid Meteor Shower
One of my favorite meteor showers, the Geminds, is coming! In ideal moonless, dark conditions, many observers can easily spot 50 or more meteors per hour. Up to 100 meteors per hour can be seen in rural areas.
Unfortunately, a nearly full Moon will be out, but if you look up before the Moon rises at around 1:00 A.M. you will still have a chance.
Here is more information about viewing the famous Geminid Meteor Shower.
December 15 - Full Cold Moon
The cold weather that really starts to hit us at this time of year is what gave rise to the name of this winter moon.
December 1: New Moon
December 8: First Quarter
December 15: Full moon
December 22: Lat Quarter
December 30: Black Moon named because it is the second new moon in a calendar month.
December 17 -26 The Ursid meteor shower
You'll be thrilled to learn that December will bring us a second meteor shower!
In contrast to the Geminids, the Ursid meteor shower's radiant will stay above the horizon in Ursa Minor, a tiny but brilliant northern constellation that contains the pole star Polaris.
Ursa Minor is located to the north of Ursa Major, its much larger parent constellation. This one, like the Geminids, doesn't require a telescope.
The shower is predicted to peak in activity and produce its best meteor display on December 23. It will be active from December 17 to December 26. The best time to see it is right before dawn, when the radiant is at its highest point in the sky.
December 21 - The First Day of Winter (The Winter Solstice)
The Northern Hemisphere's astronomical winter season begins on the winter solstice, which also happens to be the day with the fewest hours of daylight throughout the year.
This is the day with the least amount of sunlight and, consequently, the longest night because it is the day when the Sun travels the shortest route through the zodiac constellations on its yearly journey and reaches its most southerly point in the sky.
Astronomers also mark this day as the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Stargazing Tips
Allowing your eyes to adjust to the darkness is crucial for improving your night vision when viewing faint objects like stars, nebulae, the Milky Way, and other galaxies.
Remember not to look at your phone or any other bright device while stargazing, and give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
Turn on the red night vision mode on your phone if you're using a star app.
