Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, you can send images and comments in to spacephotos@futurenet.com. The exact start and end times for the event vary by location. February 3, 2021. The two planets will easily appear together in the field of view of a backyard telescope at high magnification (inset with red circle). Try to view Uranus in mid-to-late evening, when it's more than halfway up the southern sky. The shower will peak during the early hours of Tuesday, Dec. 22, when seeing 5 to 10 meteors per hour is possible under dark skies. Image above: “First light of winter,” wrote Karl Diefenderfer in Yardley, Pennsylvania. For about an hour centered on 21:00 GMT, observers in most of eastern and northern Europe, parts of Russia and China, Japan, northern Philippines, and Micronesia can see the moon cross in front of (or occult) Vesta. getty. Go outside after dark this month and you will see a bright “star” in the night sky.. What is it? In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the exact opposite, where the year’s southernmost sunrise and sunset give the Southern Hemisphere its longest day and shortest night. To best see the cluster's stars, hide the bright moon just outside the left edge of your binoculars' field of view. After the December solstice, the daylight hours will begin to increase for the Northern Hemisphere. The meet-up will especially favor observers at southerly latitudes. By noontime, we mean midday, or midway between sunrise and sunset. 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. After the sun reaches its southernmost point on the sky’s dome on the December solstice, watch as the sun seems to pause for a number of days before it starts its northward trajectory on the sky’s dome once again. As the month opens, the two planets will appear in the lower part of the southwestern sky for about two hours following sunset. At mid-month, Saturn will lead the pair out of the stars of Sagittarius and into Capricornus. Visit our corporate site. In the southwestern sky after sunset on Monday, Dec. 21, Jupiter's faster orbital motion will bring it within 0.1 degrees of slower Saturn, causing the two planets to appear, to the unaided eye, as a single bright object. It will reach its maximum elevation, more than halfway up the southern sky, in early evening, and then it will descend as it's carried west by Earth's rotation. Monthly skywatching information is provided to Space.com by Chris Vaughan of Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. At its new phase, the moon is travelling between Earth and the sun. 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. The trio will make a wonderful photo opportunity when composed with some interesting foreground scenery - until the two close-together planets set at about 7:15 p.m. local time. A waxing, half-illuminated moon will have set at around midnight, leaving the sky nice and dark for seeing meteors. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! 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. (Use Starry Night, or another astronomy app, to find out the timing where you live.) By the time the duo sets in the west after midnight, the diurnal motion of the sky will lift the moon to Mars' left. At approximately 22:00 GMT on Dec. 12, the moon will occult Venus for observers in easternmost Russia, Hawaii, and western North America. You might think of the solstice as a day, but it’s really a moment. If you're in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help. 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. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. When at its minimum, observers in the Eastern Time zone will find Algol high in the eastern sky. There, the sun will be at an altitude of 71°, and totality will last 2 minutes 8 seconds. 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. A clear night sky offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects to see — stars, constellations, and bright planets, often the moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers. Some look dim because of their age, or because they're far away. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, 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. 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. Tonight is a great night to search … Our star chart is designed to get you out learning the night sky within a matter of moments. On the December solstice, we celebrate the unofficial first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and first day of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. © Telescope views of the planet will show Mars' apparent disk diameter shrinking from 15 to 11 arc-seconds. Tonight. While the moon climbs the eastern sky during Tuesday evening, it will be slowly approaching the cluster from the celestial west. During the 97 minutes required for the moon's umbra to reach landfall on the coast of Chile at 16:00 GMT, the path of totality will widen to 56 miles (90 km). 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. 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. A new moon on the peak night should deliver a terrific shower for 2020. The bright yellow star Arcturus is putting on a dazzling show in the eastern part of the night sky. The best time to watch for Geminids will be from full darkness on Sunday until dawn on Monday morning. Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation. About 3½ hours later, Earth will occupy that same location in space. 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. Arcturus is in the constellation Boötes, the Herdsman. In 2020, the shower will peak before dawn on Monday, Dec. 14. On the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 23, observers in most of the continental USA and Canada can see the waxing gibbous moon pass in front of (or occult) the medium-bright star designated Nu Piscium (or ν Psc). A sky map is helpful. The moon and the cluster will fit together in the field of view of binoculars (red circle). But you'll need to know where to look. Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! The prominent round crater Werner sits to its lower right. 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. Is Mercury, The Elusive Planet, Visible Tonight? 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. We’ll also explore the beautiful nebulae hidden amongst the stars of Orion. 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. At the same time, Mars will be traveling eastward across the V-shaped constellation of Pisces until early January. It takes your location and tells you when the ISS will next be visible. See our video on how to safely observe the sun, or our safe sunwatching infographic. For several hours following sunrise, sharp eyes can look for Venus' bright point of light shining a short distance to the left of the moon in daylight. 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. Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow. There was a problem. The North Star? The night sky is more than just the moon and stars, if you know when and where to look. From dark sky locations the magnitude 7.9 planet can be observed in good binoculars and backyard telescopes. In a year that has seen so much devastation, loss and divisiveness, there is a bright light. During December, Venus will continue to shine at a very bright magnitude -3.9 in the southeastern sky before sunrise — but it will be in the final stages of a lengthy pre-dawn apparition. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. 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). The two planets haven't been as close together since Galileo was using his spyglass in 1623 — and they won't meet so closely again until 2080. The wonders of the Night Sky Credit: NSO. The X is predicted to become apparent after about 7 p.m. PST on Monday, Dec. 21, peak at about 11 p.m. PST, and then continue until about 1 a.m. Want more? The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8. 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. Custom star maps from The Night Sky … However, it's unsafe to look at the sun without protective eyewear. In both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the December solstice brings the southernmost sunrise and the southernmost sunset of the year. Since sunlight can only reach the far side of the moon, and the moon is in the same region of the sky as the sun, the moon becomes completely hidden from view for about a day. Over the first three weeks of December, watch each evening as the two planets get closer in the sky than they've appeared in two decades. What is the bright star in the sky? Its naked-eye brightness dims noticeably for about 10 hours once every 2 days, 20 hours, and 49 minutes because a dim companion star orbiting nearly edge-on to Earth crosses in front of the much brighter main star, reducing the total light output we receive. 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! Astronomy. View Comments. On Dec. 23, the waxing gibbous moon will pass 5 degrees to the south of Mars. 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. Look in eastern Aquarius, about 0.8 degrees to the east of the medium-bright star Phi Aquarii, or φ Aqr. Day and night sides of Earth at the instant of the December 2020 solstice (December 21, 2020, at 10:02 UTC). All about the December solstice, Last full moon of the decade on December 29-30. When you are looking at it you are facing north. 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. Hold the map over your head with “North” on the map facing the direction north. Meteor shower to peak tonight: How to see shooting stars A METEOR shower is due to peak in the night's sky tonight, as Earth passes through the debris left by an unknown comet. Detroit Free Press. A pretty crescent moon will hop past them on Dec. 16-17. The nearly Full Moon does, however, make the sky brighter and washes out dimmer stars and deep-sky objects. Greatest eclipse will occur in Argentina at 16:13:29 GMT, with a totality of 2 minutes 10 seconds. The areas of partial eclipse encompass about 2/3 of South America and much of the oceans to either side. This makes it easier to pick out the brighter patterns in the real sky. Translate December 21 at 10:02 UTC to your time zone, here. By the end of December, the viewing window for the two planets will become quite short as they slide sunward into the western twilight. Image via EarthView. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope to the night sky, discovering the four moons… On Friday night, Dec. 25, the pole-to-pole terminator that divides the lit and dark hemispheres of the waxing gibbous moon will fall to the left (or lunar west) of Sinus Iridum, the Bay of Rainbows. The event can easily be viewed in a backyard telescope — but your telescope will likely flip and/or invert the regular, binoculars view. 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). Join us to appreciate the beauty and wonders of Orion! 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. 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. 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. 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. This makes it probably one of the most important stars to learn and find in the night sky. Except for a few minutes before sunrise on the first two or three days of the month, Mercury will not be observable during December. 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. Guides to the night sky. Full moons during the winter months reach as high in the sky as the summer noonday sun, and cast similar shadows. You can also use astronomy apps and software to make your observing easier, and use our Satellite Tracker page powered by N2YO.com to find out when to see the International Space Station and other satellites. New York, Bottom line: The December 2020 solstice comes on December 21 at 4:02 a.m. CST. Nasa Christmas Star 2020: What time to see great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn tonight For the first time in 800 years, Jupiter and Saturn will align in the night sky … Christmas Star in sky tonight for first time in 800 years: How to see it in Michigan. Hundreds of ‘shooting stars’ are set to light up the sky tonight, as part of the Geminid meteor shower. Last quarter moons are positioned ahead of the Earth in our trip around the sun. Skywatchers are in for an end-of-year treat. Order now. The best time to watch will be the hours before dawn. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. Winter and summer start at the solstices by tradition, not official decree. 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). Orion is one of the most recognizable constellations, and it shines brilliantly above us in the winter 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. That’s 10:02 UTC. Binoculars or a good beginner telescope will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view. Magnitude -2 Jupiter, which will shine 10 times brighter than magnitude 0.64 Saturn, will pop into view first as the sky darkens. By midnight, we mean the middle of the night, or midway between sunset and sunrise. 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. On Thursday, Dec. 31 at 7:10 p.m. EST (or 0:10 GMT on January 1), Algol will reach its minimum brightness of magnitude 3.4, which is almost exactly the same as the star Rho Persei (or ρ Per) that sits two finger widths to Algol's right. Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead. The Geminids meteor shower, usually one of the most spectacular showers of the year, runs from Dec. 4 to Dec. 17 annually. 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. Our basic star maps show the planets and major star patterns or constellations visible in the evening and morning skies this month, without faint background stars. This event should be visible anywhere on Earth where the moon is shining in a dark sky during that time window. The North Star is literally the star that indicates north. 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. The annual Ursids meteor shower, produced by debris dropped by periodic comet 8P/Tuttle, runs from Dec. 17 to Dec. 23. 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. They're already a pretty pair, and they'll still be telescope-close for more than a week on either side of that date. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Whole Sky images show the entire sky as a big round picture. This planet outshines all the stars, plus it’s near another bright planet, Saturn. 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. When the sun has large sunspots, they can be seen without a telescope. True Ursids will appear to radiate from a position in the sky above the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) near Polaris, but the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Print a framed star chart with your personal message to forever remember my star moment. The week of moonless evening skies that follow last quarter will be ideal for observing deep sky targets. In the Northern Hemisphere, the southernmost sunrise and sunset usher in the year’s shortest day and the longest night. 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! Step outside on a cold December night when the stars shine bright to find the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus. The observer's horizon is around the outside of the circle, whilst the centre of the picture is a point in the night sky that is right overhead. Our monthly astronomy guide for stargazers December’s highlights Jupiter and Saturn are converging towards their closest conjunction since 1623.Mars is still bright and visible from dusk.Venus is shining brilliantly before dawn. Image via NASA. The light of the stars is more susceptible to changes in the atmosphere and they will twinkle as a result. The Sky Tonight. Unofficial? In the sky. 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. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. The fun continues the following day when…. Daytime skywatching: When Venus is visible (that is, not in front of or behind the sun) it can often be spotted during the day. 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