What’s up in the night sky in December? Catch an impressive meteor shower, the brightest stars in familiar constellations + more! See when & where to look up: https://t.co/lZUZ0HEoZg pic.twitter.com/SzcR7bIy5G
— NASA (@NASA) December 1, 2017
This December's sky has lots to see as it reveals mysteries which could be seen only during this time of the year.
The December sky would be lit by the constellations Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Auriga, Leo, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. More than that, special events galore in the sky this month include the Geminid meteor shower, and the Ursid meteor shower emerging near the constellations Geminid and the Ursa Minor.
First of all, don't miss the Supermoon visible on December 3. It would be a spectacular experience when the moon comes closest to the earth. Even though this is the fourth supermoon of the year, the previous ones didn't show the moon to its fullest and this supermoon could be easily viewed.
Celebrate the Christmas Eve and the yearend through the best views of the sky events on these days.
December 3
The supermoon would be experienced on the day as the moon appears as the largest and the brightest in the year 2017.
The full moon in December, commonly known as the Oak Moon, Cold Moon, Long Nights Moon and the Moon before Yule would shine in or near the Taurus. The moon will pass through the Taurus, nearby its brightest star Aldebaran and will pass in front of various bright stars of the triangular face constellation.
December 13
Geminid meteor showers would be visible during the nights of December 4 to 16. The best time to watch the meteor shower is after midnight on December 13 and 14. Dozens of meteors could be seen in the night sky. The bright and intensely colored meteor will move slower than average from the Gemini constellation.
The crescent moon would be found about 5 degrees above reddish colored Mars in the pre-dawn sky of December 13.
December 14
The crescent moon would be found at 4 degrees above the bright Jupiter and 3 degrees upper right to the asteroid Vesta. They could be viewed in a single field of view through binoculars.
December 18
New moon, when the moon is invisible from the Earth. It happens as the Moon travels between the Earth and the Sun. The Moon would not be visible as the sunlight reflected from it would not be visible from the earth. A narrow crescent of the Moon would be found after two or three days above the western hemisphere.
December 21
The Sun would reach its southernmost extent at a declination of 23.5 degrees south on December 21. The days would be shortest in the Northern hemisphere while the Southern hemisphere experiences the longest days during this period.
December 22
The Ursid meteor shower starting from the region near the constellation Ursa Minor would be at its peak during December 17 to 23. Up to 20 meteors could be visible per hour on December 22 in dark skies. The best time to watch the meteor shower would be after midnight.
With a telescope, you can find a dark calm place away from the lights of the cities, especially in villages, to get better view of the sky events.
