The December skies, meanwhile, will feature several planet treats, a major meteor shower, and the start of the winter solstice. Jupiter will draw the most attention all month as it reaches opposition (opposite the setting Sun in the sky) on December 2nd. Jupiter will become conspicuous above the eastern horizon soon after sunset, appearing among the stars of Taurus the bull. On December 7th it will be seen just 5 degrees above Aldebaran; the 1st magnitude star in Taurus. But Jupiter outshines even Aldebaran at magnitude –2.8 —- 30 times brighter than the star. Amazing views of the giant planet can be had by skywatchers with telescopes all month. Parallel colored bands of clouds are the most obvious features of its thick atmosphere and its 4 largest moons; Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto can be seen as shiny jewels swinging around the planet on successive nights through the month.
Skywatch for December
December always brings out our annual planetarium Christmas program. Since 1987 my astronomy classes and the radio station at Kent County High School have helped me tell the story of Christmas from our unique perspective in the planetarium to our community. This year’s program, “THE PERFECT GIFT”, will b e presented in full digital format, as we started to do last year, and will include several video clips along with the usual still images. The program will be presented at 7 pm on Monday December 17th, Tuesday December 18th, Thursday December 20th, and Friday December 21st at the Kent County High School planetarium. My usual invitation goes out to all Skywatch readers and friends to come out for the show!
In the southeastern morning sky before sunrise, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury will form a tight grouping early in the month; widening slowly as the month advances. On December 1st, these three planets span about 13 degrees, with Saturn up first, about 3 hours before the Sun. Saturn at magnitude +0.7 is the dimmest of the three planets. Venus will come up some 30 minutes later blazing at magnitude –3.9.
Mercury rises in another 40 minutes, glowing at –0.3 magnitude.
During December Saturn will appear to pull away from the Sun —– that is, to elongate —- while both Venus and Mercury will angle in closer to the Sun. On December 10th the waning crescent Moon will pass close to Saturn, when the ringed planet will be 15 degrees from Venus. On December 11th the Moon will only be 2 degrees from Venus. It will be quite a sight with the thin crescent Moon and the 3 planets all gracing the southeastern sky at once!
Through the rest of December, Saturn will appear to move away from the Sun, and by the 31st, it will rise 5 hours before the Sun. Mercury, after reaching its greatest elongation from the Sun December 4th, will appear to move closer to the Sun, and appear lower to the horizon, disappearing just after Christmas. Venus will also descend toward the horizon and closer to the Sun, rising only 90 minutes before the Sun by the end of the month.
The Geminid meteor shower will peak on the night of December 13/14, with very good viewing conditions because the Moon is at New phase on the 13th. Eighty to 120 meteors may be seen from the top of Gemini, which is well up above the eastern horizon by 10 pm on the 13th. If the weather cooperates this meteor shower will be one of the year’s best.
The winter solstice arrives at 6:12 am on December 21st, marking the southern-most point of the Sun against the sky, and the lowest point of the Sun at noon for Northern Hemisphere skywatchers. Last quarter Moon is on Dec. 6th; New Moon Dec. 13th; 1st Quarter Moon is
December 20th; and the Full Moon is December 28th.
Merry Christmas to all!!
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