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ENLARGE
Paul Morgan
Three planets gather in the December twilight. The easiest to spot is Jupiter. This giant world is a bright beacon in the south-southwest sky. Mercury makes a brief appearance around mid-month low in the southwest; while very faint Neptune nestles next to Jupiter.
Mercury crosses Sagittarius during this Christmas appearance. It will hug the southwest horizon during the first week of December. Your best chance to observe this tiny world will be from Dec. 15 until Christmas.
At its best on the evening of Dec. 18th, Mercury will sit only 8 degrees above the horizon 30 minutes after sunset. Look for a slender crescent moon about 6 degrees above and to the left of Mercury.
Jupiter rides high as the sky darkens. Telescope observers can watch a rare treat on Dec. 2 at 6:08 p.m. PST as its moon, Io, covers Europa. Just after dark, watch as Io approaches: Europa dims as it is covered, and Io reappears.
Swift Jupiter overtakes poky Neptune on Dec. 19. The two planets will be visible in the same low-power telescope field that night. Brilliant Jupiter outshines Neptune by 10,000 times and appears about 18 times larger. It will be easy to spot Neptune a few days before and after the 19th as the two worlds will appear about a moon-width apart. A bright crescent Moon joins Jupiter and Neptune on the 20th and 21st.
Late night planets
Mars rises in the east-northeast about 10:30 tonight. The red world has just crossed into Leo and can be easily spotted as a bright “star” in a region of dim ones. The Earth is in the process of overtaking Mars. Over the next few months, Mars will become brighter and will appear larger in a telescope as the Earth-Mars distance diminishes. Mars is just barely large enough now for a modest telescope to show the north polar cap and a few surface details. The Mars observing season has just begun and will extend until April. The best views will occur in early February. Get your scope out and take a look. Best viewing is around midnight, when Mars is higher in the sky.
Saturn rises four hours after Mars. Christmas telescopes will reveal a tiny ring system that will get a bit better each month.
Meteor shower
December offers one of the best meteor showers of the year, the Geminids. This wonderful, rarely-seen shower will have no interference from the moon this year. If the clouds part, bundle up and seek a dark site to watch the show on the night of the Dec. 13. Experts forecast a peak of more than 100 meteors per hour at 9 p.m. PST. Look toward the southeast or north or high in the east to see these bits of asteroid dust.
Roseburg resident Paul Morgan has been a stargazing fan since his boyhood days in the 100 Valleys of the Umpqua.
Mercury crosses Sagittarius during this Christmas appearance. It will hug the southwest horizon during the first week of December. Your best chance to observe this tiny world will be from Dec. 15 until Christmas.
At its best on the evening of Dec. 18th, Mercury will sit only 8 degrees above the horizon 30 minutes after sunset. Look for a slender crescent moon about 6 degrees above and to the left of Mercury.
Jupiter rides high as the sky darkens. Telescope observers can watch a rare treat on Dec. 2 at 6:08 p.m. PST as its moon, Io, covers Europa. Just after dark, watch as Io approaches: Europa dims as it is covered, and Io reappears.
Swift Jupiter overtakes poky Neptune on Dec. 19. The two planets will be visible in the same low-power telescope field that night. Brilliant Jupiter outshines Neptune by 10,000 times and appears about 18 times larger. It will be easy to spot Neptune a few days before and after the 19th as the two worlds will appear about a moon-width apart. A bright crescent Moon joins Jupiter and Neptune on the 20th and 21st.
Late night planets
Mars rises in the east-northeast about 10:30 tonight. The red world has just crossed into Leo and can be easily spotted as a bright “star” in a region of dim ones. The Earth is in the process of overtaking Mars. Over the next few months, Mars will become brighter and will appear larger in a telescope as the Earth-Mars distance diminishes. Mars is just barely large enough now for a modest telescope to show the north polar cap and a few surface details. The Mars observing season has just begun and will extend until April. The best views will occur in early February. Get your scope out and take a look. Best viewing is around midnight, when Mars is higher in the sky.
Saturn rises four hours after Mars. Christmas telescopes will reveal a tiny ring system that will get a bit better each month.
Meteor shower
December offers one of the best meteor showers of the year, the Geminids. This wonderful, rarely-seen shower will have no interference from the moon this year. If the clouds part, bundle up and seek a dark site to watch the show on the night of the Dec. 13. Experts forecast a peak of more than 100 meteors per hour at 9 p.m. PST. Look toward the southeast or north or high in the east to see these bits of asteroid dust.
Roseburg resident Paul Morgan has been a stargazing fan since his boyhood days in the 100 Valleys of the Umpqua.
