Winter is here. In all fullness the shortest day and the longest night arrives on December 21st. Those living in the northern hemisphere at the dawn of humanity saw the autumnal Sun continue to fall in the sky in fear it would not return. The end was near. Yet, the winter solstice took place and the Sun did indeed return. They lit fires and torches. They danced and celebrated.
With this in mind, go outside any clear cold night this December. Look up. As you do, feel the skin on your face contract from the cold's touch; watch the condensation of your breath form a cloud to rise and dissipate. Permit the dancing pinpricks of light; jewels, big and small, in colors of brilliantly blue, sharp white, dim yellow, and soft copper to capture your awareness. Give way to the magic of the moment washing over you. Then, out of nowhere a flash, streak, ignite, bomb! A meteor breaks through the serene scene. December is full of meteor showers, of major and minor classification, capable of radiating from anywhere overhead at any time of the night. But wait, the planets want their due too. Watch for a majestic presentation of our inferior and superior planets in our western sky at sunrise and sunset. See a Cold Full Moon all night long, while Jupiter, our benevolent god of the sky, reigns in our celestial dome throughout the month.
Are you ready? Come outside with me and look up. Stargazing with your family and friends is a delightful way to celebrate our season of joy, hope, and promise. Here’s some of the best December has to offer.
The Sky Father Close Up. Jupiter at Opposition: December 7th
As the father of the sky looms large this night, we begin with asking, what does “astronomical opposition” mean? Simply, it is when the Earth is in between the Sun and a superior planet (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) in a loose straight line. The Sun is opposite the planet, and we are in the middle. This happens at 1:50pm on the 7th. For us Earthlings observing Jupiter this means the Sun is at our back, dimming some of the Sun’s intruding illumination somewhat, making our view of it from Earth better. That night, in opposition, Jupiter will rise over the north-eastern horizon as the Sun sets in the west-northwest. During the night, the sky father moves across the sky staying up all night. After reaching the highest point in its journey through the night at midnight, Jupiter sets when the Sun rises at the dawn of a new day, December 8th.
Now, let’s consider Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun, and the Earth. It’s not a perfect circular one. It is an elliptical orbit. A circle, just a bit squished. Since Jupiter orbits around the Sun, it means at one point in its orbit it is closest to Earth (perigee) and another point in its orbit where it is farthest from the Earth (apogee). These two phenomena occur on the 7th. What you get is a chance to see Jupiter at its closest, largest, and brightest moment in the late, late autumn sky. (Next time this happens is January, 2026.) Larger than life. Indeed, a befitting display for the king of the sky and gods.
Don’t worry if you don’t hail the king this evening, our fifth planet from the Sun will be bright and beautiful all month, and more. When a clear night stands at your doorstep this December, step outside look up and to the south to behold the planet Jupiter. Hail the sky father, god of the sky!
Planets in the West at Sunrise and Sunset: December 9th
Whether you're a morning lark or a night owl, there’s a planet awaiting. Early risers about one hour before the Sun announces the new day, can look to the west and see Mars, and Jupiter setting. Sitting halfway between the west-northwest horizon and the point directly overhead is Mars, the Roman god of war and guardian of agriculture. While small in size, Mars’ luminescence is steady, in a distinct red hued color. Next, from that point, look down to the west-northwest horizon to find brilliantly bright Jupiter. As the sky god gets ready to set below the horizon it presents a glare, a vivid white color with touches of yellow, and maybe even a dim red hue as its light passes through the thickest part of our atmosphere. After Jupiter sets, greet the new day and go enjoy yourself. Then come back around dusk and look west again after Sunset to enjoy the second act of the planetary pageant. Oh, the Moon makes a cameo appearance in this act.
In this act, the night owls get their due. After the Sun slides below our southwest horizon, step outside to check out a host of heavenly objects. Let’s use the waxing gibbous Moon and Venus the Roman goddess of beauty, love, and prosperity as our guides. (Did you know that Julius Caesar claimed Venus to be his ancestor?) Use the Moon as our starting point. About a third between it and Venus, is the planet Saturn. It will be dim, but identifiable. Look for a steady pin prick of clear yellowish-orangery-greenish color. Next, halfway between the Moon and Saturn is the planet Neptune, the Roman god of fresh water and the seas. (Poseidon is his counterpart in Greek mythology.) You’ll need binoculars, or a telescope, and a keen eye to find and view a dim blue dot that is Neptune. Hunting for Neptune is a worthy cause, and the alignment this evening makes finding our blue giant easier. Give it a go, it’s the holidays.
Geminids Meteor Shower: Peak December 14th
The annual Geminids meteor shower is a major meteor shower and is active from the 4th through the 17th of December. For 2024, the shower peaks on December 14th. The meteor shower radiates within the constellation Gemini (see above) and your chance to see meteors is any time the constellation Gemini is above the horizon. This year it is estimated there will be less than the average peak of 120 meteors per hour. Gemini will rise above the east-northeastern horizon after 5:30pm. The potential for you to see the most meteors is after Gemini has risen higher in the sky around 2am. This is the best time to see the most meteors due to the Earth’s rotational angle is on the 14th at 7pm. At that time it is projected you can expect to see up to 119 meteors. Sad to say, this year’s Geminids shower suffers from the interference of the Full Cold Moon. This means more Moonlight means fainter meteors are overpowered by the light.
The Winter Solstice: December 21st
This is the day when the Sun’s solo annual sojourn stops its southern slide at what is known as the winter solstice. This year, the winter solstice occurs on December 21st at 2:20am. It is the moment when the Sun reaches its most southern point in the sky, in the constellation of Capricornus, and it is the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere. The good news is hence the solstice, the Sun now begins its return to the northern hemisphere. Conversely, in the southern hemisphere, the Sun is above the horizon for longer than on any other day of the year. Thus, their first day of summer. All this happens because of the Earth’s angle on its axis, tilted at an angle of 23.5° to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. As this angle is fixed throughout the Earth’s orbit, sometimes the Earth's north pole is tilted towards the Sun (June), and at other times it is tilted away from it (December). That time is now. Take heart, daylight lasts a little bit longer. Don’t forget, longer night time means more time for stargazing! Sadly though, the Sun’s return journey doesn’t necessarily mean it’s warmer at night for us up here in the north.
Ursids Meteor Shower: Peak December 22nd
Another major meteor shower in December is the Ursids meteor shower. See them streak through the night from December 17th through December 22nd. That’s correct, this shower overlaps with the Geminids. At their peak, the Ursids usually produce around 10 meteors per hour. The shower is expected to reach peak activity on the 22nd around 3am. The shower is visible from sunset to sunrise because the constellation Ursa Minor (Little Dipper) is circumpolar. It rotates around the northern hemisphere’s celestial North Pole, the star Polaris. Oh, and the end of Little Dipper’s handle is Polaris. So to find the radiate point, look north. The later in the evening / early morning you look, the higher the radiate point is in the northern sky. A benefit of this shower is you don’t have to crane your neck and stare straight up to see the radiate point. Assume a comfortable position and enjoy. Remember, that meteors can radiate from anywhere in the night sky, so keep a keen eye and a wide, panoramic view.
Don’t Call Us Minor. Monocerotids, Coma Berenicids, December Cassiopeid, December Leonis Meteor Showers: The entire month of December
Meteor showers are categorized into classes. The Geminids and Ursids are Class I, while the Monocerotids, Coma Berenicids are Class II, while the December Cassiopeid and December Leonis are Class IV. A class is determined by the shower’s ZHR, the Zenith Hourly Rate. That is the average meteors visible per hour if the radiant is directly overhead. A Class I meteor shower is a ten or better ZHR. Remember that the name of the meteor shower denotes the specific constellation from where the meteor shower will originate, and the radiant point is the more specific area within the constellation where the meteors will emanate. That said, never forget that meteors can appear, streak, flash, explode, and smoke from anywhere and at any time in the night sky. What fun is that?
High above us this Christmas Eve night, Princess Andromeda will journey home upon the winged horse Pegasus with her hero Perseus at the reins. Accompanying them and creating an expansive parade across our holiday night sky is the Cold winter Moon, many colorful clusters of stars, and the conspicuous King of the Sky, the planet Jupiter. Indeed, a splendid seasonal gathering on their own, yet major and minor meteor showers will add to the merriment at every unexpected moment. Together they create quite a festive celestial dome. Look west at Sunset to behold the planet Venus. It is a spotlight of blinding vividness and ask yourself, “Was Venus possibly the star that guided the wise men and their caravan across the desert?”
Just step outside in December, for however brief a moment it is and look up. Embrace the unique immersion of the darkness found inside this special time of year. There are truly many magical moments overhead for you and your loved ones to behold.
As a child, I would stay up late on Christmas Eve. Lying in my bed I’d stare up in wonder, through a frosted bedroom window, at the stars and planets on the other side. That night when sleep never arrived, viewing the stars filled my heart. I hope they do for you too when you look up and see our wonderful expansive universe. Consider this a gift to you from the cosmos.
Season’s greetings, happy holidays and clear skies to one and all!
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