The new moon of December happens tonight. A day later, Southern Hemisphere observers will see the height of the Phoenicid meteor bathe, and on Dec. 4 the waxing moon will make a detailed go to Venus within the night sky.
The actual second of the brand new moon happens at 1:21 a.m. Eastern Time (0621 UT) on Dec. 1, in line with the U.S. Naval Observatory. A brand new moon is when the moon passes between the Earth and the solar, particularly when the solar and moon share the identical celestial longitude (often known as proper ascension). A north-south line from the celestial pole would go by way of each.
New moons aren’t seen except there’s a photo voltaic eclipse, and which means the nights are notably darkish; when meteor showers happen on or close to new moons it is loads simpler to see them because the moon’s mild is not washing them out.
A younger moon passes Venus
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On Dec. 4 the moon and Venus will share the identical proper ascension, going into conjunction and approaching inside about 2 levels of one another within the night sky. From New York City the 3-day previous moon will seem to go to the south of Venus (under and to the left) at 5:41 p.m. Eastern Time; sundown in New York is at 4:28 p.m. on that day. The moon units at 7:26 p.m., Venus follows at 7:36 p.m.
As one strikes south the moon and Venus seem increased within the sky, although the solar will seem to set later. Sunset in Miami, for instance, is at 5:30 p.m. and at that time the moon will probably be 30 levels excessive within the southwest. A pointy-eyed observer would possibly catch the moon simply earlier than the solar units and by the point the conjunction occurs (5:41 p.m. native time) Venus needs to be simply seen in opposition to the darkening sky; the planet units at 8:39 p.m. Eastern.
From Honolulu, Hawaii, the conjunction will not be seen – it occurs there at 12:41 p.m. native time. Sunset is at 5:49 p.m., by the top of civil twilight at 6:13 p.m. the moon will probably be about 30 levels excessive and seem to the left of Venus (which also needs to begin to come out in opposition to the sky). Venus units first, at 8:59 p.m. and the moon follows at 9:12 p.m.
In Buenos Aires, the place sundown is at 7:55 p.m., the conjunction happens at 7:41 p.m. native time, so Venus itself will probably be invisible till about 8:30 p.m. The moon will probably be about 40 levels excessive within the west. Venus will seem to the correct and slightly below the moon because the sky darkens, and the planet units at 11:08 p.m.
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Phoenicid meteors
The Phoenicid meteor bathe peaks on Dec. 2, a day after the brand new moon. It’s a bathe that’s lively from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, and has a whole lot of variation within the variety of meteors one can anticipate to see. The title comes from the constellation Phoenix, none of whose naked-eye stars are seen from above the 48th parallel north; the constellation does not get totally above the horizon till one reaches 22 levels north; the latitude of Kauai, Hawaii, Cuba, or central Mexico. The Phoenix is subsequently greatest seen from the Southern Hemisphere.
In mid-southern latitudes – locations similar to Cape Town, Santiago, Chile, or Melbourne, Australia – the Phoenix is already excessive within the south-southeast when the sky will get darkish, which is about 9:30 p.m. (sundown on Dec. 2 in Santiago, Chile is at 8:39 p.m., whereas in Cape Town it’s at 7:43 p.m. and in Melbourne, Australia it’s at 8:26 p.m.). The variety of meteors normally seen is small, they usually are typically sluggish, however occasionally there have been bursts of exercise.
According to the International Meteor Society the bathe was in all probability most lively when it was first observed in 1956 and produced 100 meteors per hour in a meteor storm; later showers have produced nowhere close to that – on the order of just a few meteors per hour.
The bathe’s radiant level and the variety of meteors varies as a result of it’s related to the comet 289P/Blanpain, which has a interval of about 5.2 years and is usually perturbed by the planet Jupiter. The radiant level will probably be simply north of the Phoenix (technically it’s in Cetus, the Whale, nevertheless it was within the Phoenix when it was noticed in 1956 and as late as 2014). A notable attribute of the Phoenicids is that they’re sluggish meteors, so when one does see them they’re seen longer.
Stars and constellations
Even if one cannot catch the conjunction of the younger moon, on the evening of Dec. 1 three different naked-eye planets will probably be out and comparatively straightforward to see (Mercury will probably be misplaced within the photo voltaic glare). The skies in mid-northern latitudes get darkish early – in New York, Chicago, Denver or San Francisco the solar is about by 5 p.m., and the timing is analogous in European cities, a lot of Asia and the north coast of Africa.
Venus will probably be brilliant within the western sky – in New York the planet units at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 1. Saturn will probably be seen nearly due south; it transits (crosses the meridian, reaching its highest altitude) in New York at 6:11 p.m. and units at 11:43 p.m. Jupiter rises at 4:49 p.m. in New York, and by 6 p.m. it’s 10 levels excessive within the east, flanked on the correct by Aldebaran, the alpha star of Taurus, the Bull.
Mars rises at 8:25 p.m. in New York (the native timing will probably be comparable in areas of comparable latitude) and is within the constellation Cancer, so it can stand out as the one brightest “star” in that a part of the sky; each Jupiter and Mars will attain excessive altitudes for Northern Hemisphere sky watchers. Jupiter, for instance, transits in New York at 12:13 a.m. Dec. 2 and will probably be 75 levels above the southern horizon, whereas Mars will accomplish that at 3:49 a.m. and hit 71 levels.
For Southern Hemisphere observers, the austral summer season means late sunsets – in Santiago, Chile, for instance, sundown on Dec. 1 is at 8:38 p.m. native time, and in Christchurch, New Zealand, which is about as far south of the equator as Boston is to the north of it, sundown is not till 8:54 p.m. native time.
That means the sky will not look darkish till about 9:30 p.m. (in Christchurch, civil nightfall ends at 9:29 p.m. on Dec. 1). Venus will nonetheless be seen within the southwest, and it is going to be about 26 levels excessive from Santiago or Christchurch. Saturn will probably be to the correct of Venus, within the northwestern sky, about 48 levels excessive. For austral observers the planet transits nicely earlier than sundown; it occurs at 7:47 p.m. native time in Christchurch, and it units at 2:23 a.m. Dec. 2.
Jupiter rises at 9:19 p.m. the night of Dec. 1 and transits at 1:50 a.m. Dec. 2, the planet will probably be decrease than for these within the Northern Hemisphere – solely about 24 levels above the northern horizon. Mars rises at 12:46 a.m. Dec. 2 and transits at 5:22 a.m., however dawn in Christchurch is at 5:44 a.m.
Stars and constellations
December is winter within the Northern Hemisphere, and with that we see the winter constellations in full swing. Along with earlier darkness, the colder and drier air tends to provide clearer nights. In the east by 8 p.m. Gemini, Taurus and Orion are all above the horizon, with the distinctive belt of the latter pointing practically straight up – Orion’s belt runs roughly east-west, however at a slight angle that makes it look vertical at sure instances of evening in mid-northern latitudes.
By 10 p.m. the whole lot of the Winter Hexagon is above the japanese horizon. The Hexagon is a set of six stars from six completely different constellations; going clockwise one begins with Rigel, marking the correct foot (from the attitude of the observer) of Orion; Rigel is to the correct of the celebs of Orion’s belt earlier than midnight. Closer to the horizon and to the left is Sirius, the brightest star within the sky and the alpha star of Canis Major, the Bog Dog. To the left (east) and north of Sirius is Procyon, which marks the Little Dog, Canis Minor.
North of Procyon (earlier than midnight, to the left and upwards) of Procyon is Pollux, the top of one of many Twins (Gemini). North and west (upwards and to the correct) of Pollux is Capella, the brightest star in Auriga, the Charioteer, and shifting westwards and south one sees Aldebaran, with Jupiter close by. (Aldebaran could be acknowledged by its distinctly reddish-orange colour in relation to Jupiter, which is extra yellow-white). Moving south from Aldebaran one passes Betelgeuse to finish the hexagon at Rigel once more.
From the mid-southern latitudes, the sky does not get totally darkish till about 10 p.m. Southern Hemisphere observers will see Sirius in direction of the east, with Orion in an “the other way up” orientation to the left (northward). Turning southeast (to the correct) one will see Canopus, the brightest star within the constellation Carina, the Keel of the Ship. It will probably be about 40 levels excessive, and distinct. Most usually related to the legendary Argo that carried Jason and his crew.
Sirius, Rigel, and Canopus kind a triangle – it appears a bit like a right-angle triangle with the 90-degree angle at Sirius. One can use that to identify Achernar, the top of Eridanus the River, by drawing a line that goes from Sirius instantly between Canopus and Rigel (think about drawing a line from the 90-degree nook of a proper triangle that bisects the hypotenuse). Achernar is sort of excessive within the sky – 75 levels from the latitude of Christchurch. Achernar is one finish of the river, and one can hint all of it the best way again to a star close to Rigel that marks the opposite finish.
Looking instantly southwards, one will see the Southern Cross near the horizon; from Christchurch it swings downward and begins rising after 10 p.m. – from New Zealand the Southern Cross by no means units. To the correct of it’s Alpha Centauri, often known as Rigil Kentaurus, our photo voltaic system’s nearest stellar neighbor.
