By Heather Durham | November 30, 2024
December 2024 brings us a grand finale to our astronomical year, packed with meteor showers, planetary dances, and seasonal wonders!
An interesting phenomenon will occur this month-there will be two new moons, the last one is referred to as the Black moon. The moon has a cycle of 29.5 days. The last time this happened was September 30, 2016.
December 1: New Moon bathes us in perfect darkness for stargazing tonight. Bundle up in your warmest clothes and head outside to spot the winter constellations emerging. The Pleiades star cluster (Seven Sisters) shines particularly bright – can you count how many stars you see?
December 5: The φ-Cassiopeid meteor shower graces our skies. Though modest, these meteors offer a wonderful opportunity to practice your shooting star spotting skills. Perfect timing with the dark skies following the New Moon!
December 6-7: Jupiter steals the show, reaching both perigee and opposition. Watch as the giant planet rises in the east at sunset, appearing larger and brighter than any other time this year. Mars begins its retrograde motion – a perfect time to discuss planetary movements with curious minds.
December 8: A celestial triple feature! Moon reaches First Quarter while approaching Saturn. The Monocerotid meteor shower adds extra sparkle to this already magical night. Use the Moon’s position to help young astronomers locate Saturn in the evening sky.
December 11: The σ-Hydrid meteor shower peaks under favorable skies. These meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Hydra. Make a game of tracing their paths back to their origin point!
December 13-14: The magnificent Geminid meteor shower peaks, with the Moon visiting the Pleiades! Despite some moonlight, expect up to 120 multi-colored meteors per hour. Jupiter joins the party with a close approach to the Moon – what a night for sky-watching!
December 15: The Full Cold Moon illuminates our winter landscape. The Comae Berenicid meteor shower begins its annual display. Take a moonlit walk and notice how the bright moonlight creates beautiful shadows on the snow.
December 18-19: Mercury reaches its highest morning altitude as the Moon meets Mars. The December Leonis Minorid meteor shower adds to the pre-dawn display. Early risers will be rewarded with this beautiful celestial choreography.
December 20-21: Mercury reaches dichotomy (half-phase) just before Winter Solstice. The shortest day of the year marks a turning point in our annual cycle. After today, we begin gaining precious minutes of sunlight again!
December 22: The Ursid meteor shower coincides with the Last Quarter Moon. Look northward after midnight for best viewing of these winter “shooting stars.” The half-lit Moon provides decent viewing conditions.
December 25: Mercury reaches greatest western elongation – a cosmic Christmas gift! Look for the elusive planet low in the southeastern pre-dawn sky. The best morning viewing opportunity of the year for Mercury.
December 30: A rare Black Moon (second New Moon of month) closes our astronomical year. This special event gives us another chance for pristine dark-sky viewing. What a perfect way to end our celestial journey through 2024!
References:
American Meteor Organization. (2024). Meteor shower calendar 2024. The Week. Retrieved from theweek.com/space/1023749/
Milwaukee Public Museum. (2024). Sky and space calendar 2024. Retrieved from www.mpm.edu/skyspacecalendar
NASA. (2024). The next full Moon will be the last of four consecutive supermoons. Retrieved from science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/
Sea and Sky. (2024). Astronomy calendar of celestial events 2024. Retrieved from www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2024.html
Space.com. (2024). Night sky, December 2024: What you can see this month cited in The Week.
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