Dec. 6: Gemini
Gemini, one of the brightest constellations of winter, stands in
prime viewing position this month. It rises around sunset and
remains visible throughout the night. Twin streamers of stars
extend from Castor and Pollux, the bright
”
twins
”
that give Gemini its name.
Dec. 6: Gemini
Gemini, one of the brightest constellations of winter, stands in prime viewing position this month. It rises around sunset and remains visible throughout the night. Twin streamers of stars extend from Castor and Pollux, the bright “twins” that give Gemini its name.
Dec. 7: Castor
Castor, the brightest star in the constellation Gemini, the twins, is a family unto itself. It consists of three pairs of stellar twins linked by gravity. Castor stands low in the east-northeast at nightfall, near its “twin,” yellow-orange Pollux.
Dec. 8: Earliest Sunsets
The Sun sets earlier than at any other time of year in the northern hemisphere about now. The shortest day of the year occurs on the winter solstice, December 21. But the earliest sunset takes place a few days earlier.
Dec. 9: Planets Galore
The Moon and Mars are well up in the southeastern quadrant of the sky as darkness falls. Mars looks like a bright orange star, well to the left of the Moon. Mars follows the Moon during the night, and they set in the wee hours of the morning.
Dec. 10: Moon and Mars
Look for the Moon and Mars getting close tonight. They are well up in the east at nightfall, with bright orange Mars to the lower left of the Moon. They will move even closer together during the night.
Dec. 11: More Moon and Mars
The gibbous Moon rolls past the planet Mars tonight. As seen from most of the United States, they will miss each other by about half a degree or less — no more than the width of the Moon itself. Watch for them beginning shortly after sunset.
Dec. 12: Geminid Meteors
The Geminid meteor shower puts in its best showing over the next couple of nights. Unfortunately, the Moon gets in the way. Tonight, the Moon is just a couple of days from full, so it is quite bright. But the brightest meteors will shine through the glare, so they are worth a look.
