Here are the sky highlights this month:
- 8. Full Moon. This phase occurs at 12:09 a.m. ET. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark. This moon has also been known as the Long Nights Moon and the Moon Before Yule.
- 8. Mars at Opposition. The red planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view and photograph Mars. A medium-sized telescope will allow you to see some of the dark details on the planet’s orange surface.
- 13–14. Geminids Meteor Shower. The Geminids are the king of meteor showers. It is considered by many to be the best shower in the heavens, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from Dec. 7 to Dec. 17. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and the morning of the 14th. The waning gibbous moon will block many of the fainter meteors this year. But the Geminids are so numerous and bright that this should still be a good show. The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini but can appear anywhere in the sky.
- 21. December Solstice. The December solstice occurs at 5:40 p.m. ET. The South Pole of the Earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
- 21. Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation of 20.1 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to view Mercury as it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.
- 21–22. Ursids Meteor Shower. The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The shower runs annually from Dec. 17 to Dec. 25. It peaks this year on the night of the 21st and the morning of the 22nd. This year, the nearly new moon will leave dark skies for what should be a really good show. The best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor but can appear anywhere in the sky.
- 23. New Moon. This phase occurs at 6:17 a.m. ET. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
If you’d like to become more involved with astronomy in South Florida and meet like-minded people, the South Florida Amateur Astronomers Association (www.sfaaa.com) at Markham Park is fantastic, equipped with a state-of-the-art telescope, and the perfect way to take the next step in discovering our celestial sky. Happy exploring!