SKY GUIDE: This map represents the night time sky because it seems over Maine throughout December. The celebs are proven as they seem at 10:30 p.m. early within the month, at 9:30 p.m. at midmonth, and at 8:30 p.m. at month’s finish. Jupiter and Saturn are proven at their midmonth positions. To make use of the map, maintain it vertically and switch it in order that the course you might be dealing with is on the backside. Sky Chart ready by Seth Lockman
The lengthy, chilly nights within the month forward will likely be simpler to take pleasure in, as a result of this yr there will likely be greater than the standard astronomical highlights for December.
Jupiter within the constellation of Aries the Ram close to Taurus remains to be the brightest night planet, about 25 instances brighter than Saturn, which is positioned 30 levels and two constellations to the west in Aquarius. Each of them are getting a bit of fainter and farther away now every night as we’re leaving them farther behind in house in our quicker orbit across the solar. Saturn was at its finest again in August and Jupiter reached its finest in early November.
You’ll be able to search for the bluish-green planet Uranus about 10 levels to the left of Jupiter half method to the Pleiades alongside the ecliptic. It glows at 5.7 magnitude, a bit of brighter than regular because it simply reached opposition late final month. The restrict of visibility for the unaided human eye is sixth magnitude, so it is best to have the ability to see it with none binoculars from a dark-sky website.
Venus rises at about 4 a.m. in Virgo. It’s almost 4 instances brighter than Jupiter and absolutely 100 instances brighter than Saturn. The slender waning crescent moon will type a pleasant conjunction with Spica, the brightest star in Virgo on Dec. 8, and will probably be close to Venus the following morning. Search for the intriguing earthshine on the crescent moon that morning as our two brightest objects within the night time sky are only a few levels aside. Because it strikes eastward, Venus will get smaller and fainter and extra illuminated by the solar, reaching 78% lit by the tip of the yr and dropping to minus fourth magnitude in brightness.
The asteroid Vesta will attain 6.4 magnitude on Dec. 19 because it tracks by means of Orion this month. It’s the second-largest asteroid at 330 miles in diameter, which is the space throughout Arizona. Vesta displays 40% of its daylight, which is 4 instances as a lot gentle as our moon displays, however nonetheless solely half as a lot as contemporary snow. About 6% of the entire meteorites discovered on Earth come from Vesta.
An asteroid named 319 Leona will go instantly in entrance of the intense pink supergiant star Betelgeuse in Orion on Dec. 11 at 8:25 pm. 319 Leona is a part of the primary asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, so it’s in no hazard of working into Earth. We don’t know its actual diameter, however we expect it’s about 40 miles throughout, a lot smaller than Vesta and Ceres. It may both fully cowl up Betelgeuse in order that this good star will really exit for about 12 seconds, or it might be a bit of too small and create one thing like an annular eclipse.
This very uncommon occasion will solely be seen over southern Florida from Key West, the Everglades, and as much as north of Miami, together with some components of Mexico, southern Europe, Turkey, and central Asia. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to nonetheless watch a stay feed of it as it’s occurring. After this, we will decide the precise dimension and form of this asteroid.
Comet 62P/Tsuchinshan 1, found in 1965, continues to get brighter in Leo. It should attain about eighth magnitude this month and be seen by means of binoculars or a small telescope. It should go 6 levels above Regulus on Dec. 10 and proper above the Leo Trio of three small galaxies positioned about 35 million gentle years away on the finish of the month. Attempt to get some images of it, since it’s going to present up in a time publicity fairly nicely.
Leo now rises round midnight, and the very best time to search for this comet will likely be between Dec. 5-17, when the moon is not going to intervene.
There are three meteor showers this month, however just one good one, the Geminids. Brought on by an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon, which might be the nucleus of an extinct comet, that is the very best bathe of the yr. It should peak on the night time of Dec. 13 into the morning of Dec. 14. You’ll be able to anticipate over 100 meteors per hour from a darkish sky website, because the moon is new on Dec. 12 and won’t intervene.
Then there’s the annual Ursid Meteor bathe on the winter solstice (Dec. 21) annually. Brought on by Comet 8P/Tuttle, the bathe normally produces 5 to 10 meteors per hour. For the reason that moon will likely be waxing gibbous, solely 5 days earlier than it turns into full, you will notice even fewer than that.
DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
Dec. 3: The waning gibbous moon and Regulus rise within the east simply 3 levels aside this night.
Dec. 5: Final quarter moon is at 12:49 a.m.
Dec. 8: The moon will go simply 2 levels above Spica in Virgo this morning.
Dec. 9: The slender waning crescent moon and Venus, our two brightest night time time celestial objects, will likely be simply 3 1/2 levels aside this morning.
Dec. 11: Annie Soar Canon was born on today in 1863. She was a part of the well-known Harvard Computer systems who developed the spectral classification system for all stars.
Dec. 12: New moon is at 6:32 p.m.
Dec. 13: The Geminid meteor bathe peaks tonight into Dec. 14.
Dec. 17: The moon passes 2 levels south of Saturn tonight. The Wright brothers made the primary powered flight of an plane on today in 1903 on a seashore in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The flight solely lasted 12 seconds and solely went 180 ft, but it surely proved that it was attainable. It solely took lower than 66 years to get all the best way to the moon. We’re nonetheless progressing quickly and we’ll most likely get all the best way to Mars by 2037.
Dec. 19: First quarter moon is at 1:39 p.m.
Dec. 21: The winter solstice is at 10:27 p.m.
Dec. 22: The Ursid meteor bathe peaks tonight. The moon passes 3 levels north of Jupiter tonight.
Dec. 23: The moon passes 3 levels north of Uranus tonight.
Dec. 25: Isaac Newton was born in 1642.
Dec. 26: Full moon is at 7:33 p.m. That is often known as the Lengthy Evening Moon or the Chilly Moon.
Dec. 28: The waning gibbous moon is simply 2 levels from Pollux in Gemini this morning.
Dec. 29: The moon is close to the Beehive open star cluster in Most cancers this morning.
Dec. 31: The moon is close to Regulus in Leo this morning. Jupiter ends its retrograde movement and is stationary in Aries right this moment.
Bernie Reim of Wells is co-director of the Astronomical Society of Northern New England.
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