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| This month's star chart shows
the eastern sky at 8:00 PM on December 13. The winter constellations are
now coming into view in the eastern sky in the early evening. Once again,
we welcome our old friend Orion into the early evening hours.
Jupiter is in the constellation Gemini about 12 deg above the horizon, shining at mag -2.7. The planet has an angular size of about 47 arcseconds at present. Saturn, about 40 deg above the horizon, is a beautiful sight in Taurus. Saturn is about 20 arcseconds in diameter, and is now shining at mag -0.4. If you missed seeing the Leonids, you may have yet another chance to see some meteors. The Geminids have a radiant near the Star Castor in Gemini, just above the ENE horizon in the early evening on December 13. The Geminids will reach their peak in the early morning hours of December 14. Remember, meteors may appear anywhere in the sky, but if you trace their paths backward, the paths will intersect at the radiant. The Geminids move slower than the Leonids, and are less plentiful, but they're worth a look if you're awake in the late-evening/early-morning hours of December 13-14. Comet LINEARWM1 is now in Pisces. We may be able to see it, perhaps even with binoculars. However, I haven't seen it for several days mostly because of cloud cover. |
You can print a copy of this star chart so you can take it outside.
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