• news
• All

Look skyward for celestial holiday treats

You will be able to spot Venus almost every night in December

Andrew Fazekas
The Gazette
Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Just as we left off in November, the heavenly highlight all December long centres on the planetary traffic jam taking place in the evening skies. No need for a telescope or binoculars to enjoy this sky show. The two brightest objects in the night sky after the Moon continue to be beacon-like Venus and Jupiter.
Look towards the southwestern sky any evening just after sunset in December and watch as this planetary pair slowly separate. Venus, also known as the Evening Star is the brighter of the two and is inching its way ever higher in the dusk sky.
Meanwhile, Jupiter is sinking every day closer to the horizon.
By Dec. 23 a new actor takes the stage joining Venus and Jupiter – little Mercury. You will need a clear line of sight to the southwestern horizon to glimpse the innermost planet to the Sun. It never strays far from the blinding glare of our star so it always remains a skywatching challenge to see it in the sky.
Then on the last few days of the month, the razor-thin crescent Moon joins the planetary party. Grab your binoculars starting Dec. 28 an see if you can find the Moon just below Jupiter and Mercury. By the  next evening, the Moon will have jumped to the upper left of Jupiter.
As a New Year’s Eve treat, the year will close with a striking pairing of the waxing crescent Moon with brilliant diamond-like Venus.
Meteor shower: Normally one of the best meteor showers to put on a great light show, the Geminids will be hampered this year because of the blinding glare of the Moon. But don’t be discouraged, it’s still worth looking up in the late night of Dec. 13, into the next morning. That’s the peak time for the shower and the Geminids are known to produce nice fireballs.
Even from the West Island under  clear skies there is a good chance of seeing a handful of these baseball-sized space rocks burning up high above your backyard that night.
Like all meteor showers, it takes its name from constellation the shooting stars appear to come from in the sky. In this case that’s Gemini, the twins from Greek legends.
Finally, for those moonless nights when the stars come out to play, take note of some of winters brightest constellations rising in the east during suppertime. Leading the pack is Orion, the hunter with its distinct three-star belt closest to the horizon. To the left is Gemini, a pair of bright stars marking the two heads of the twins. Just above Orion is Taurus the Bull with its sideways V-shape cluster of stars. These two landmark constellations will be rising higher and earlier in the evening skies over the course of the next few months.

Looking for a holiday gift for that special stargazer? Then come get the inside scoop on scopes and new accessories given by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s special workshop tonight. Lecture starts at 8 p.m. in room Penfield 204 at John Abbott College in Ste. Anne de Bellevue. Everyone welcome.
For skycharts and the latest stargazing news visit me at www.thenightskyguy.com