Tuesday, December 20
This can be a nice week to take pleasure in naked-eye open clusters, so let’s now flip to Coma Berenices, finest seen within the early morning hours main as much as daybreak. This constellation rises ever greater within the hours after midnight, nestled between Canes Venatici and Virgo within the east.
We’re planning to residence in on Melotte 111, a magnitude 1.6 cluster spanning about 300′ (that’s 5° of sky!). It’s situated due south of magnitude 4.3 Gamma (γ) Comae Berenices; Gamma itself sits on the northern fringe of the cluster however is just not a part of the grouping. Melotte 111, additionally referred to as the Coma Berenices star cluster, is one other object that has been identified since antiquity. The brightest luminaries are roughly magnitude 5, seen to the bare eye, whereas the cluster additionally comprises some 50 stars brighter than tenth magnitude which can be simply seen by binoculars or a finder scope. Quite than transferring towards or away from our Solar, this younger group of stars seems to be transferring alongside out solar system by the Milky Way.
As you may see from the chart above, this easy constellation is awash in clusters and galaxies that basically exhibit on this morning’s darkish sky. Even after the Moon rises, its feeble mild shouldn’t intervene a lot. Use the chart or try our latest print function on deep-sky gems in Coma Berenices to seek out extra targets on your telescope or binoculars.
Dawn: 7:18 A.M.
Sundown: 4:37 P.M.
Moonrise: 4:06 A.M.
Moonset: 2:15 P.M.
Moon Section: Waning crescent (10%)
Wednesday, December 21
Mercury reaches best elongation east of the Solar (20°) at 10 A.M. EST this morning. The solar system’s smallest planet is seen within the night twilight, shining at magnitude –0.5. Mercury now stands some 8° above the southwestern horizon half an hour after sundown. Its mild will linger within the twilight earlier than the planet disappears from the sky round 6 P.M. native time.
Close by, blazingly brilliant Venus (magnitude –3.9) is a few 4.5° excessive on the identical time, 5° to Mercury’s west (decrease proper). Though Venus is nearer to the horizon, it’s so brilliant that it’s going to stay straightforward to identify till it units about an hour after the Solar. In just some days, a fragile crescent Moon will be part of this pair within the Christmas Eve sky. Keep tuned for subsequent week’s column, which may have extra particulars on that beautiful occasion.
The winter solstice happens at 4:48 P.M. EST immediately, ushering within the official begin of the winter season within the Northern Hemisphere. (This identical date marks the start of summer time within the Southern Hemisphere.)
Lastly, Mars passes 8° north of the intense purple large Aldebaran in Taurus at 11 P.M. EST tonight. No matter whether or not you’re an evening owl or an early riser, we’ll try this pair as our goal for tomorrow.
Dawn: 7:19 A.M.
Sundown: 4:38 P.M.
Moonrise: 5:22 A.M.
Moonset: 2:55 P.M.
Moon Section: Waning crescent (4%)
Thursday, December 22
Only a few weeks after opposition, Mars stays within the sky a lot of the hours it’s darkish, setting just a few hours earlier than dawn and rising shortly earlier than the Solar units. Should you’re up within the few hours after midnight, look west to see Taurus the Bull sinking towards the horizon. The brightest level of sunshine at present on this constellation is just not a star, however is as a substitute the Pink Planet, Mars. Examine that mild for just a few moments and chances are you’ll discover it seems orangey-red. Evaluate that to the star 8° to its south (decrease left) — this luminary is magnitude 0.9 Aldebaran, whose mild can also seem orange or purple. Aldebaran is an enormous, getting old red giant star that places out extra mild — however is a cooler temperature — than the Solar.
To the pair’s decrease proper within the early morning is the unmissable Pleaides star cluster, which sparkles because it sinks towards the horizon.
Should you favor night viewing, the setup is way the identical — this time, look east as quickly because the Solar units to identify Taurus already nicely above the horizon. Now, Mars sits to Aldebaran’s higher left, with the Pleiades to the pair’s higher proper. Under them, one other purple large is rising: Betelgeuse, the intense star marking the shoulder of Orion the Hunter, whose curving bow of stars factors towards the physique of the Bull.
Dawn: 7:19 A.M.
Sundown: 4:38 P.M.
Moonrise: 6:39 A.M.
Moonset: 3:46 P.M.
Moon Section: Waning crescent (1%)
