Here in North America, the solstice happens on December 21 (5:02 a.m. EST, 4:02 a.m. CST, 3:02 a.m. MST, 2:02 a.m. PST, 1:02 a.m. Alaskan Time and 12:02 a.m. Hawaiian Time). Translate December 21 at 10:02 UTC to your time zone, here. Some star names have interesting meanings, including Sirius ("the scorcher" in Latin), Vega ("falling" in Arabic), and Antares ("rival to Mars" in Greek). You might think of the solstice as a day, but it’s really a moment. Looking at the world map below, you can see that the 2020 December solstice happens when it’s sunset in East Asia and Australia, midnight in the Pacific, dawn in northwest South America, and noontime in Africa. Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe faint objects, such as meteors or dim stars, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Skywatchers are in for an end-of-year treat. Where is Mars, Saturn or Venus? If you're in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help. After a lengthy chase, Jupiter will finally catch and overtake more distant Saturn during December in a "Great Conjunction." EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! What planets are visible? The event can easily be viewed in a backyard telescope — but your telescope will likely flip and/or invert the regular, binoculars view. Observing the night sky can be done with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful. At mid-month, Saturn will lead the pair out of the stars of Sagittarius and into Capricornus. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. Five hours later, at 12:10 a.m. EST (or 5:10 GMT), Algol will be halfway up the western sky, and will have brightened to its usual magnitude of 2.1. North of the Arctic Circle – or north of 66.5 degrees north latitude – there is no sunrise or sunset today, because the sun stays beneath the horizon all day long. Go outside after dark this month and you will see a bright “star” in the night sky.. What is it? The cluster, which contains at least 1000 stars, extends for two full moon diameters across the sky. Leonids meteor shower 2020: How to watch the shooting stars in the night sky tonight LEONIDS meteor shower is set to peak in the UK on Monday night, treating stargazers to an array of shooting stars. NY 10036. Image above: “First light of winter,” wrote Karl Diefenderfer in Yardley, Pennsylvania. Our star chart is designed to get you out learning the night sky within a matter of moments. In a year that has seen so much devastation, loss and divisiveness, there is a bright light. Geminids meteors are often bright, intensely colored, and slower moving than average because they are produced by particles dropped by an asteroid designated 3200 Phaethon. True Geminids will appear to radiate from a position in the sky above the bright stars Castor and Pollux, but the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Unofficial? In the southeastern pre-dawn sky on Saturday, Dec. 12, the delicate sliver of the old crescent moon will be positioned several finger widths to the upper right (or 4.5 degrees to the celestial west) of bright Venus. A pretty crescent moon will hop past them on Dec. 16-17. Because the planet will be shifting sunward, it will rise 2.5 hours before the sun on Dec. 1, but only 90 minutes before sunrise at month-end. View Comments. By the time the duo sets in the west after midnight, the diurnal motion of the sky will lift the moon to Mars' left. On Dec. 11-12, the delicate sliver of the old crescent moon will pass Venus — occulting the bright planet at approximately 22:00 GMT for observers in easternmost Russia, Hawaii, and western North America. What has become known popularly as the “Christmas Star” is an especially vibrant planetary conjunction easily visible in the evening sky tonight, as the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn come together! Slone Terranella. The light of the stars is more susceptible to changes in the atmosphere and they will twinkle as a result. That 'star' you can see is a planet! To best see Messier 35's stars at that time, wait until they are higher in mid-evening, and then hide the bright moon beyond the upper right edge of your binoculars (red circle). Thank you for signing up to Space. High in the southern pre-dawn sky on Monday, Dec. 7, the waning gibbous moon will be positioned a palm's width to the upper right (or 6 degrees to the celestial west) of the magnitude 7.55 main belt asteroid Vesta in the constellation of Leo, the Lion. All-sky charts of the night sky from In-The-Sky.org, showing what stars and planets you'll be able to see in the night sky on any given day of the year. Using the option on Stellarium to make the star constellations visible, you can see tonight’s sky chart from your location: Can I see the ISS tonight? The brightest objects get negative numbers. Because Earth will be increasing its distance from Mars, the red planet will diminish in brilliance by half — fading from magnitude –1.1 on Dec. 1 to magnitude –0.24 on Dec. 31. Viewed in a telescope during December, our sister planet will exhibit a waxing, nearly fully-illuminated phase — and an average apparent disk diameter of 11 arc-seconds. Between Dec. 12 and Dec. 29, the two planets will be less than one degree apart — allowing them to be viewed together in the eyepiece of backyard telescopes. Star Gazing. Full moons during the winter months reach as high in the sky as the summer noonday sun, and cast similar shadows. Gibbous: Used to describe a planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated. On the nights surrounding Dec. 13, the two planets will pass only a degree north of the magnitude 9.9 globular star cluster Messier 75. As many as 120 Geminid meteors will soar through the sky every hour, in … Detroit Free Press. When at its minimum, observers in the Eastern Time zone will find Algol high in the eastern sky. During the rest of the night the moon's eastward orbital motion (green line) will carry it farther from the Beehive. That’s 10:02 UTC. To better see the dim, fuzzy cluster, try to view the trio as soon as the sky darkens, when they are higher in the sky. Image via NASA. There, the sun will be at an altitude of 71°, and totality will last 2 minutes 8 seconds. SPACE.com offers skywatching tips. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8. A blanket or lounge chair will prove much more comfortable than standing or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead. Christmas Star in sky tonight for first time in 800 years: How to see it in Michigan. Is Mercury, The Elusive Planet, Visible Tonight? This event should be visible anywhere on Earth where the moon is shining in a dark sky during that time window. Or notice it with respect to landmarks in your surroundings, as Peter Lowenstein did, below: Solstice sunsets, showing the sun’s position on the local horizon at December (left) and June (right) solstices from Mutare, Zimbabwe, via Peter Lowenstein. It takes your location and tells you when the ISS will next be visible. The moon will obscure all or part of the cluster for about 2 hours centered on 3:40 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (or 8:40 GMT), and then it will depart from the cluster's upper left (or celestial east) edge while both objects descend in the western sky. From time to time, try fixing a bit of tape to your window, on which you’ve written the date, to help you mark the sun’s passage. In the southern sky on Wednesday, Dec. 23, the waxing gibbous moon will sit a palm's width below (or 5 degrees to the celestial south of) reddish Mars. At their minimum separation on Dec. 21 — their closest since 1623 — the planets will sit only 0.1 degrees apart — a terrific opportunity to capture their markings, moons, and Saturn's rings in a single photograph taken through a telescope. Conditions are ideal for the Geminid meteor shower.Here’s more about the stars and planets you can see in the night sky in December 2020. On Dec. 23, the waxing gibbous moon will pass 5 degrees to the south of Mars. Translate December 21 at 10:02 UTC to your time zone, here. Several times a year, for a few hours near its first quarter phase, a feature on the moon called the Lunar X becomes visible in strong binoculars and backyard telescopes. At last quarter, the moon is illuminated on its western side, towards the pre-dawn sun. At first quarter, the moon always rises around noon and sets around midnight, so it is also visible in the afternoon daytime sky. After the December solstice, the daylight hours will begin to increase for the Northern Hemisphere. Daytime skywatching: When Venus is visible (that is, not in front of or behind the sun) it can often be spotted during the day. The December full moon, traditionally known as the Oak Moon, Cold Moon, and Long Nights Moon, always shines in or near the stars of Gemini. However, it's unsafe to look at the sun without protective eyewear. This makes it probably one of the most important stars to learn and find in the night sky. Sinus Iridum is almost craterless, but hosts a set of northeast-oriented dorsae or "wrinkle ridges" that are revealed under magnification at this phase. Algol, also designated Beta Persei, is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. The wonders of the Night Sky Credit: NSO. The North Star is literally the star that indicates north. When, where and how to see the planets in the 2020 night sky, The top skywatching events to look for in 2020, Best night sky events of December 2020 (Stargazing Maps), 2020: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more, Red Bull skydivers recreate mysterious Marfa lights in dazzling video for winter solstice 2020, Watch the winter solstice 'Great Conjunction' of Jupiter and Saturn with these webcasts, Watch Live tonight! Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the southernmost sunrise and sunset usher in the year’s shortest day and the longest night. The grouping will make a wonderful photo opportunity when composed with some interesting foreground scenery. When the moon completes the first quarter of its orbit around Earth at 6:41 p.m. EST (or 23:41 GMT) on Monday, Dec. 21, the relative positions of the Earth, sun, and moon will cause us to see it half-illuminated — on its eastern side. Below, find out what's up in the night sky tonight (Planets Visible Now, Moon Phases, Observing Highlights This Month) plus other resources (Skywatching Terms, Night Sky Observing Tips and Further Reading). The fun continues the following day when…. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Jupiter will span a 33 arc-second disk diameter — comparable to the apparent width of Saturn's rings. The circular, 155 mile (249 km) diameter feature is a large impact crater that was flooded by the same basalts that filled the much larger Mare Imbrium to its right (lunar east) — forming a rounded, handle-shape on the western edge of that mare. The Geminids meteor shower, usually one of the most spectacular showers of the year, runs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 17 annually. Hold the map over your head with “North” on the map facing the direction north. As the gas giant planets prepare for their Great Conjunction on Dec. 21, they will pass close to a magnitude 9.2 globular star cluster designated as Messier 75 (or M75) and NGC 6864. The star Deneb marks the top of the Northern Cross, and the star Albireo marks the bottom. getty. A sky map is helpful. The Night Sky helps you create a personalized custom star map that shows the alignment of the stars on the date and location of your choice. If you stand in one spot day after day, week after week – for example, gazing out a particular window toward the sunrise or sunset on the horizon – you will surely notice the sunset’s northward trek along the horizon over the coming months. During December, blue-green Uranus will be visible all night long while it travels slowly westward in southwestern Aries — about 10 degrees south of Aries' brightest star Hamal, and 5 degrees north of the stars that form the top of Cetus' head. The 'Star of Bethlehem' – in the sky tonight by Ruth Gledhill A conjunction is approaching between Saturn, top and Jupiter, pictured last night above Las Vegas. So here's wishing you clear skies to catch some shooting stars. Night Sky. February 3, 2021. When the waning gibbous moon rises in the eastern sky in late evening on Friday, Dec. 4, it will positioned only two finger widths to the left (or 2 degrees to the celestial north) of the large open star cluster known as the Beehive, or Messier 44, in Cancer. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! Yes. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. When it reaches its last quarter phase at 0:37 GMT on Tuesday, Dec. 8 (or 7:37 p.m. EST on Monday, Dec. 7), the moon will rise at about midnight, and then remain visible in the southern sky all morning. If you're stuck in a city or suburban area, a building can be used to block ambient light (or moonlight) to help reveal fainter objects. Neptune will be available for observing in the evening sky during December. Tags: Maps. The rest of the total eclipse will not see landfall, leaving the Earth at 17:54 GMT just 225 miles (360 km) west of the coast of Namibia. The nearly Full Moon does, however, make the sky brighter and washes out dimmer stars and deep-sky objects. Guides to the night sky. Between Tuesday evening, Dec. 1 and the following morning, observers in most of North America will see the orbital motion (green line) of the waning gibbous moon carry it in front of a large open star cluster known as Messier 35, or the Shoe-Buckle Cluster, in Gemini. Print a framed star chart with your personal message to forever remember my star moment. The best time to watch for Geminids will be from full darkness on Sunday until dawn on Monday morning. In the sky. You'll need to start observing them as soon as you can find them in the darkening sky, because they will set in the west at about 7 pm local time. At about 2 a.m. local time, the sky overhead will be pointed toward the densest part of the debris field, and up to 120 meteors per hour are possible under dark sky conditions. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. Happy solstice, everyone! At that time the sun will reach the solstice — its southernmost declination for the year, resulting in the lowest noonday sun, the shortest amount of daylight of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, and the longest amount for the Southern Hemisphere. Tonight is a great night to search … The brightest stars in our night sky are an object of constant interest to stargazers. This planet outshines all the stars, plus it’s near another bright planet, Saturn. At its new phase, the moon is travelling between Earth and the sun. Monthly skywatching information is provided to Space.com by Chris Vaughan of Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. The exact start and end times for the event vary by location. Since it's opposite the sun on this day of the lunar month, the moon is fully illuminated and rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. Going fast! We will learn about its brightest stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse, the latter of which did NOT blow up in Spring 2020 as we’d hoped. After it passes superior conjunction with the sun on Dec. 20, Mercury will return to the southwestern evening sky — but its orbital position south of the shallow evening ecliptic will keep the planet too close to the horizon for observing until it swings farther from the sun in January. During December, Mars will continue to be conveniently positioned for observing from dusk until several hours after midnight. Meanwhile, the planet will traverse the stars of Libra until Dec. 17, dash through the northern section of Scorpius from Dec. 18 to Dec. 21, and then finish the month in southern Ophiuchus. Look low in the southwestern sky immediately after sunset on Wednesday, Dec. 16, for the young crescent moon sitting a slim palm's width below the bright, close-together duo of Jupiter and Saturn. Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major, shines at magnitude -1.46, so has long been a well-known star to many ancient cultures. Binoculars or a good beginner telescope will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view. Telescope views of the planet will show Mars' apparent disk diameter shrinking from 15 to 11 arc-seconds. The prominent round crater Werner sits to its lower right. For observers in the easterly parts of North America, the moon will set while the X is visible. 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