December will likely bring more clouds as well as less free time to stargaze due to the holidays. However, this month offers many great astronomical treats for those able and willing to brave the colder temperatures. December offers one of the best meteor showers of the year which will peak with a Moon-free sky. The 21st this month marks the Winter Solstice, the period in the Earth's orbit when the Northern Hemisphere has the longest night. There will be a conjunction (close encounter of two objects in our night sky) between two planets this month as well, the like that has not been seen for nearly 400 years! This month also offers a total solar eclipse for those that live in or are willing to travel to South America.
 |
| Mercury |
Mercury will be a hard target to spot throughout December. Your best chance of seeing the innermost planet will be during the first week of the month. At this time, Mercury will be further from the Sun so you may catch a glimpse of it before the sunrise glow outshines this tiny world. Mercury will then be too close to the Sun to view until January 2021, at which time this planet will be found in the evening instead of the predawn sky.
 |
| Venus |
The second planet from the Sun can be found in the morning sky. At the beginning of the month, Venus will rise about two and a half hours before the Sun. As our sister planet continues its orbit around the Sun, it will rise later and later, causing it to peak above the Rocky Mountains nearly an hour later by the 31st. During the second week of the month, a crescent Moon will join Venus in the morning sky.
 |
| Mars |
The Earth-Mars distance has been increasing throughout November and will continue to do so. As the distance increases, the magnitude and the amount of Martian detail that can be seen diminishes. This planet can still easily be seen in the night sky due to its rusty-red color contrasting the other points of light in the sky, the brightness that it shines, as well as its location in the night sky. It can be found approaching the southeastern sky at sunset and will follow Jupiter and Saturn towards the western horizon.
 |
| Jupiter |
 |
| Saturn |
Jupiter will be an easy target to spot in the night sky shortly after sunset due to its magnitude. It can be found in the southwest with Saturn becoming visible roughly 30-45 minutes later. As the month marches on, Jupiter and Saturn will move closer together until finally reaching a spectacular conjunction on the 21st. When using binoculars or a telescope, the two planets and their visible moons will appear in one field of view. How awesome it will be to see the cloud bands of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn together! These two planets have a conjunction roughly every 20 years, however, they have not been this close for nearly 400 years! The last time these two giant planets were this close was the time when Galileo used his telescope to discover the Galilean Moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn! During conjunction, the two planets will be approximately 0.1° apart which is about 1/5 of the diameter of the full Moon in our night sky. Leading up to the 21st, the Moon can be found just 3° below this pair of gas giants on the 16th.
 |
| Neptune |
 |
| Uranus |
The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars. Uranus can be found chasing after Mars in the constellation of Aries the Ram throughout the month and will be joined by the Moon on the 24th. In January, Mars' eastward motion will bring the pair of planets close together from our point of view. The most distant planet, Neptune, can be found in the constellation of Aquarius throughout December. The Moon will also be found in the constellation of Aquarius on the 20th, bringing it close to Neptune.
Meteor Shower
December brings the return of the Geminid Meteor Shower. This is one of the best, if not the best meteor shower of the year. Unfortunately, it is likely one of the least viewed meteor showers due to the inclement weather and cold temperatures. This shower is active between December 4th and the 17th meaning that you will likely see some meteors from this shower if viewing between these dates. The peak date is the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th at which time you may be able to see up to 150 meteors per hour! As mentioned in the introduction, the Moon will not be in the sky which will increase your chances and the number of meteors that you can see. If you are able to get away from city lights, you should be able to see even the faintest meteors. These meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Gemini which can be found to the left (east) of Betelgeuse, the left shoulder of Orion.
Spot Me....🕵️
I've had you try to spot quite a few different objects in the night sky, most of which require a telescope. During 2020, we have been able to see a few comets, most notable was NEOWISE. I have included pictures of NEOWISE in my August Monthly Sky Report from this year if you would like to look at them again. This month, take out your telescope or binoculars to view the great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn, you will be glad you did! If weather permits, you should also try to view the Geminid Meteor Shower since it is one of the best of the year. Be sure to dress warm, use hand warmers, and have a nice mug of hot chocolate with you!
As always, leave a comment to let me and others know what you see!
Monthly Breakdown
December 12: Moon passes within 1° of Venus
December 13: Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks
December 14: New Moon 🌑
December 16: Moon passes within 3° of Jupiter and Saturn
December 20: Moon passes within 5° of Neptune
December 21: Jupiter and Saturn conjunction
December 21: Winter Solstice
December 21: First Quarter Moon 🌓
December 22: Venus passes within 6° of Antares
December 23: Moon passes within 6° of Mars
December 24: Moon passes within 3° of Uranus
December 29: Full Moon 🌕
Think About This....💡
As 2020 comes to a close, remember all of those around you that you have to be thankful for. You should also be thankful for everything that you have. While we may look at others and how fortunate they seem to be, don't forget that there may be some less fortunate looking to you and admiring all that you seem to have. This year has been a rough one for many people, but remember to take time and show kindness to those around you. Showing a little kindness and gratitude can go a long way!
Unfortunately, I do not have any new pictures to share this month, but will hopefully have something for you next month!
Stay tuned for more exciting news and events!
 |
| Now get outside and look up! |
Planet images taken by NASA.
Andrew vs. the Cosmos taken by Jeff Greenland.
Neat
ReplyDelete