Full ‘cold Moon’, ‘extremely bright’ Jupiter and stunning meteor shower – best night sights to see in December 2024
This December, there is a lot to see up above for those who enjoy stargazing, so raise your gaze.
Three of the top space sightings to watch out for on these chilly winter evenings have been selected by the Sun.
Full Cold Moon
Every month, one of the most spectacular sights to behold is a full moon.
To get a nice view, you don’t need any additional equipment, and most recent phones have cameras that can capture an excellent image.
But when the Moon is full, you can see it in breathtaking clarity if you have a telescope or a pair of binoculars.
The following Full Moon is scheduled on Sunday, December 15.
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The UK is expected to see the Full Moon in December around 9.02 a.m., according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
However, it should be visible both at night and in the morning.
Keep an eye out because it will also appear extremely full in the days prior to and following.
The Cold Moon is a common name for the December event. But it’s only a term, and it doesn’t imply that the Moon is any less frigid than a typical Full Moon.
Jupiter
The Jupiter opposition is another amazing event to watch for when stargazing.
In comparison to the rest of the year, it will therefore be exceptionally bright.
What is a Blue Supermoon?
Additionally, it should be visible during the entire evening of December 7.
But into early December, it will be really bright.
Look east in the early evening and pray for a clear night to view it.
Jupiter should be among the brightest things visible if the sky is clear.
Try utilizing the Night Sky app, though, if you’re having trouble identifying it.
This will enable you to locate Jupiter in a matter of seconds by using your phone to pinpoint its precise location.
Meteor shower
Every year, there are a number of meteor showers, but the Geminids event in December is among the greatest.
November 19 through December 24 is when it happens.
However, December 13, 2024, is when the shower peaks and you have the highest chance of viewing shooting stars.
All night long, through December 14, you should be able to see them.
The bad news is that the Moon will soon be getting closer to its complete state, as we already discussed.
A brilliant moon can significantly affect your perspective of the sky, even if it can seem like a great thing for stargazing.
What’s the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it’ll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vapourising)
Try using an object, a building, or even your hand to block out the Moon if you want to have the highest chance of spotting shooting stars.
Keep your eyes open and allow them to acclimate to the darkness since shooting stars can appear anywhere in the sky.
Read More on The US Sun
The Geminids event is a terrific one to see because it can have up to 120 shooting stars each hour.
After all, it’s winter, so make sure to wrap up warm.
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