December‘s Celestial Highlights: The Geminid Meteor Shower and More
December offers a wealth of astronomical events, headlined by the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, a prime opportunity for stargazers. while activity begins December 4th, the shower reaches its maximum between the nights of December 13th and 14th. Under ideal, dark-sky conditions, observers coudl witness up to 150 meteors per hour.
The Geminids appear to radiate from the constellation gemini, near the star Castor, though experts recommend looking slightly away from the constellation to observe meteors with longer, more visible trails. For those north of the equator, observations can begin in the afternoon; southern hemisphere observers should look for meteors around local midnight. The peak viewing time is expected around 2:00 AM local time, when the radiant point is highest in the sky.
No special equipment is needed to enjoy the Geminids – just 20 minutes of darkness to allow your eyes to adjust and a location away from city lights.
Beyond the Geminids, December’s skies hold other noteworthy events. The year’s final supermoon occurred on December 4th, when the full moon was at its closest point to Earth.On December 7th, a nearly full moon (90% illuminated) passed close to jupiter. The darkest night of the month will be on December 20th with the new moon.
December 21st marks the December solstice, signifying the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The Ursid meteor shower, a more subtle display with 5-10 meteors per hour, will follow between December 22nd and 23rd, concluding the year’s major meteor events.
