Prepared by: O. Malakhov and V. Vasyunkin

2014 is coming to an end. Entering its last calendar month, we are gradually immersed in the pre-New Year bustle, preparing for the upcoming New Year holidays. But in clear weather, take a little time and look at the evening starry sky, which in December is already richly decorated with bright winter constellations. First of all, this is the celestial beauty Orion - perhaps the most beautiful constellation in the earth’s sky. His figure, crowned by three stars lined up to form the belt of the celestial hunter, is adorned with the bright reddish Betelgeuse and the shimmering blue-white light of Rigel. The constellation figure is complemented by less bright Bellatrix and Saif.

Orion's celestial retinue is no less beautiful and bright. This is Auriga with the bright yellow star Capella - the second brightest star (after Vega) in the northern hemisphere of the celestial sphere, Taurus with bright orange Aldebaran and open star clusters clearly visible to the naked eye - the Hyades and Pleiades, Canis Minor with bright Procyon and, of course same, Gemini, crowned with bright stars - Castor and Pollux.

And closer to midnight, the brightest star in the earth’s night sky, Sirius, the main star of the constellation Canis Major, rises in the southeastern part of the sky.

Orion's belt will point you to it if you draw a mental straight line down through its three stars. But in the December sky of 2014, Sirius will have a successful competitor - the planet Jupiter, shining with a bright yellow light that significantly exceeds the brilliance of this brightest star in the night sky. The rising time of Jupiter approximately coincides with the rising of Sirius, with the giant planet rising above the horizon in the northeastern - eastern part of the sky on the western edge of the constellation Leo. By the middle of the month, all of the listed luminaries will be visible around 11 p.m. local time.

What astronomical phenomena await us in December 2014? Before giving a detailed description, we first list them in a simple tabular form. Please note that Here and further in the review, Universal Time (UT) is given. T Moscow = UT + 3h. : 02 - Moon in the descending node of the orbit at 08:32 05 - Moon in the Hyades 06 - Full Moon at 12:27 08 - Mercury in superior conjunction with the Sun 12 - Moon (F=0.73) near Jupiter (-2.3m) 12 - Mars in perihelion 12 - Moon (Ф=0.67) near Regulus (Leo) 12 - Moon at apogee - distance from the Earth 404584 km at 23:02 14 - Moon in the last quarter phase at 12:51 14 - Maximum of the Geminids meteor shower 16 - Moon at ascending node of the orbit at 13:27 17 - Moon (Ф=0.26) near Spica (Virgo) 19 - Saturn 1° south of the Moon at 20:55 21 - Winter solstice at 23:03 22 - New Moon at 01:36 22 - Maximum of the Ursids meteor shower 24 - Moon at perigee - distance from the Earth 364791 km at 16:43 28 - Moon in the first quarter phase at 18:31 29 - Occultation of Uranus by the Moon (~04h, Yakutia, D.Vostok) 29 - Moon in descending node of the orbit at 09:27

Our main star is the Sun

December in the northern hemisphere of the Earth is the darkest month of the year. Indeed, in December, the Sun, moving in a large circle - the ecliptic, moves away to the greatest angle from the celestial equator into the southern hemisphere of the celestial sphere.

The point of the “deepest” immersion of our daylight star in the southern hemisphere of the sky is approximately 23.5 degrees away from the celestial equator and is located in the constellation Sagittarius. The Sun will reach this point this year on December 21 at 23:03 Universal Time. Will come winter solstice. This means that the night from December 21 to 22 will be the longest of the year, and the daylight hours will be the shortest. For example, at the latitude of Moscow, the length of the day on December 20–22 will be only 6 hours 57 minutes. At the same time, at the beginning of the month, daylight at the same latitude lasts 7 hours 24 minutes, and on December 31 it adds as much as 5 minutes.

Although slowly, the length of daylight hours increases after the winter solstice. But, as they say, the Sun is for summer, winter is for frost, because December is followed by the coldest month in terms of climate - January, at the beginning of which our planet approaches the Sun to the minimum distance. But we will talk about this in the January review, but for now about what to expect in December from our restless daylight.

In December 2014, the 24th eleven-year cycle of solar activity continues. In November, solar activity underwent significant fluctuations, while the main object that attracted the attention of astronomy lovers was the reappearance of the October gigantic group of sunspots No. 2192, but under a different number - No. 2209.

The second transit of this group across the solar disk occurred on November 13–26. Of course, group No. 2209 no longer occupied such a huge area, but was still effective for visual observations. Many observers noticed its resemblance to a bear's paw print. I wonder if this group will appear on the solar disk for the third time - in December? We will learn about this around December 9, when the area of ​​the solar surface on which the described active region is located will again appear from behind the eastern limb (edge) of the solar disk. Its transit across the disk of the daylight star is expected from December 9 to 22.

Photo of a giant group of sunspots No. 2209, taken November 20, 2014.
amateur astronomer Philip Romanov (Moscow region, Korolev).

It is worth noting that sunspots are visible in binoculars, and even in the smallest telescope you can see their detailed structure. The telescope will also show you the smallest spots - pores. But you must remember that When observing the Sun, it is necessary to use either special solar light filters with all accompanying precautions, or use the method of observing the Sun on the screen .

Our natural satellite is the Moon

Moon phases in December 2014: full moon - December 6 (at 12:27), last quarter - December 14 (at 12:51), new moon - December 22 (at 01:36), first quarter - December 28 (at 18: 31).

At the beginning of December, the Moon will move through the constellations of Pisces and Aries, after which, on December 5, it will move to the constellation Taurus, in which the December full moon will occur (December 6). The bright full Moon on December 5 will be west (to the right) of the open star cluster Hyades and bright orange Aldebaran, and the Moon will move to the very center of the Hyades by 2 a.m. on December 6. Thus, the phenomenon will be clearly visible from the European part of the country.

On the evening of December 7, the Moon will be at the northernmost edge of the constellation Orion- where the club of the heavenly hunter was drawn on ancient maps of the starry sky. In this case, the main stars of this bright constellation will be to the right of the Moon in the evening. As the stars of Orion pass through the celestial meridian at about 1 a.m. local time, the Moon will appear above the figure of this constellation.

Be sure to watch this “celestial date” of the Moon with Orion, as it will look very beautiful.

On December 8–9, the Moon will pass through the southern part of Gemini’s domain, and on December 10 it will be in Cancer. On the night of December 11-12, the Moon will pass south of bright yellow Jupiter. About an hour before midnight on December 11, look for this pair of bright luminaries in the eastern-northeastern part of the sky, not high above the horizon, which in the following hours will rise higher and higher above the horizon, and citizens rushing to work in the early morning of December 12 will be able to find the Moon and Jupiter high in the southwestern sector of the sky.

Waning Moon, Jupiter and Regulus (α Leo) in the morning sky of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Moscow December 12, 2014
The apparent size of the Moon is unchanged.

A day later, the Moon will already be at a greater angular distance from Jupiter. Notice the bright white star between them. This is Regulus, the main star of the constellation Leo.

With the onset of the last quarter on December 14, the Moon will rise after midnight and by December 15 will move into the constellation Virgo. The best time to observe our natural satellite will be early morning. So, on December 17, in the morning sky, the bright crescent Moon will be slightly higher than the blue Spica - the main and brightest star of the constellation Virgo.

The apparent size of the Moon has been increased by 3 times.

The apparent size of the Moon has been increased by 3 times.

On December 19, an even thinner crescent of the Moon will appear against the background of the constellation Libra, low and low in the southeastern part of the sky. At dawn, to the left and below the Moon against the background of the morning dawn, you can try to find Saturn (magnitude +0.5 mag.). More experienced astronomy lovers will be able to try to find the barely visible crescent Moon against the background of dawn on December 20th. Saturn in the sky will already be to the right of our natural satellite. On December 22nd there will be a new moon.

2 days after the new moon, look for the thin crescent of the Moon low in the southwestern part of the sky against the background of the evening dawn. The lower horn of the sickle will point to the bright reddish Mars, visiting the constellation Capricorn.

The apparent size of the Moon has been doubled.

The apparent size of the Moon has been doubled.

And a day later, the lunar crescent, which is gaining in phase and brightness, will be higher than Mars.

The waxing Moon and Mars in the evening sky of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Moscow December 25, 2014

The apparent size of the Moon has been doubled.

The last first quarter of 2014 will come on December 28, when the Moon will visit the domain of the constellation Pisces. Above the Moon will be the “Big Square” of Pegasus and the chain of stars of the Andromeda constellation adjacent to it from the top left. And on the last evening of the outgoing year, a bright and almost full Moon will shine in the southern part of the constellation Aries. The brightest stars of this modest constellation - Hamal and Sheratan - will appear in the sky above the Moon.

When the Chimes begin to chime the last seconds of the outgoing year, the Moon will by that time be in the western - southwestern part of the sky. Hamal and Sheratan will appear to the right of the Moon, and above our natural satellite a tiny bucket of the open star cluster Pleiades will be visible.

Planets

Mercury. Not visible. December 8 will be in superior conjunction with the Sun.

Venus. Together with the Sun, it moves throughout December through the constellations Ophiuchus and Sagittarius, so it is not visible. Only at the end of the month will it be possible to try to find it from the low latitudes of Russia in the evening sky, low in the southwestern part of the sky. And this will be the beginning of its upcoming evening visibility, which will last throughout the first half of the coming 2015.

Mars. Visible in the evenings after sunset low in the southwestern part of the sky as a reddish star +1.1 magnitude. led in the central part of the constellation Capricorn. The moon will pass near the planet on the evening of December 25th.

Jupiter. Visible from late evening until dawn in the western part of the constellation Leo as a very bright yellow star -2.3 stars. led The moon will pass near the planet on the night of December 11-12.

If you look at Jupiter through binoculars, you can see its four brightest satellites (moons): Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto. By sketching their positions every hour or two, you will notice changes in the position of each satellite in relation to each other, as well as to the bright disk of the planet.

At the same time, owners of even small telescopes will be able to observe the setting of Jupiter’s satellites behind the planet’s shadow and their appearance from behind its disk. And the most experienced observers, at high magnification, can observe the shadows of satellites cast on the planet’s disk as they pass against its background.

Saturn. From the beginning of the month it will appear against the background of the morning dawn low in the southeastern part of the sky in the constellation Libra near the border with Scorpio. Planet brightness +0.5 stars. led

By the end of the month, the planet rises approximately 3 hours before sunrise, so it can be found in the sky at dawn in the southeastern part of the sky low above the horizon. The moon will pass near the planet on the morning of December 20th.

Uranus. Visible in the constellation Pisces near the border with Cetus as a star +5.8 stars. led and is clearly visible in a moonless sky with binoculars and small telescopes. Therefore, the best time to observe the planet is December 10–26.

Pluto. The planet is located in the constellation Sagittarius. Due to its very weak brightness (only +14.1 mag.) Pluto is inaccessible for amateur observations. In order to see Pluto, you will need a telescope with a lens diameter of at least 30 cm, as well as a perfectly dark sky, devoid of urban light.

Starry sky in December

After sunset, the stars of the summer-autumn triangle light up in the west-southwest - west: Vega (α Lyrae), Deneb (α Cygnus) and Altair (α Eagle). To the left is a large square of Pegasus. On the continuation of the Vega-Altair line, not high above the horizon, you can find Mars. Even further to the left and lower in the south is Fomalhaut (α Southern Pisces). To find it, it is better to get out into the open or observe from a hill. If you were unable to find Fomalhaut, you can return your gaze to Mars and again direct your gaze even further to the left - Difda (β Ceti) is located there in the south-southeast. To search for the two mentioned stars, you can also use the large square of Pegasus.: Betelgeuse (α Orionis), Sirius (α Canis Majoris) and Procyon (α Canis Minor). Asterisms winter circle and winter triangle in the evening sky of Moscow December 15, 2014

Meteor showers

One of the brightest and most abundant meteor showers in the earth's sky is the Geminids, which is active in December. Peak activity this year is expected at 12 noon on December 14th. A The best time to observe the Geminids is the nights from 13 to 14 and from 14 to 15 December Algol (β Perseus) in December 2014: December 1 (19:17), December 4 (16:06), December 7 (12:55), December 10 (9:44), December 13 (6:33), December 16 (3 :22), December 19 (0:12), December 21 (21:01), December 24 (17:50), December 27 (14:39), December 30 (11:28).

Maximums of some long-period variable stars in December 2014 brighter than 9 stars. Vel.: Z Ceti (8.9 star mag.) - December 4, W Andromeda (7.4 star mag.) - December 8, R Aries (8.2 star mag.) - December 10, X Ceti (8.8 stars mag.) - December 17, U Auriga (8.5 stars ve.) - December 13.

Clear skies and unforgettable impressions from exploring the starry sky!

Nikolay Zheleznov, Marina Lukashova

The stream welcomes the comet. What can you see in the starry sky in December?

December is the darkest month of the year, a haven for astronomer observers. And with the visibility of the planets, things should also be better than in previous months. So if the December sky is not overcast, then in the first winter month we will be able to see all the planets of the solar system.

At the beginning of December, three planets will rise one after another in the eastern part of the sky - Venus, Mercury and Jupiter. On December 3 - 6, the thin crescent of the waning Moon will be added to this trinity.

On December 2, Venus will reach its greatest brilliance for the second time this year. Mercury is becoming brighter every day. On December 6, it will be stationary and begin to approach the Sun. On December 15, the planet will reach its greatest western elongation and will be located quite high above the horizon - the most convenient moment for observations. December 21 in its movement towards

Mercury will overtake the Sun and pass less than one degree from it. And throughout December, shining Venus and Jupiter, as well as quite bright Mercury, will decorate the morning sky.

All other planets are visible in the evening sky - Saturn in the constellation Sagittarius, Mars and Neptune in the constellation Aquarius, and almost all night you can see Uranus in the constellation Aries.

Saturn, unfortunately, is already close to the Sun, and it will be possible to see it only in the first half of December. On December 8 - 9, the day after the new moon (it will occur on December 7), a thin crescent of the waxing Moon will be located next to the planet. On December 9, residents of the north of the Khabarovsk Territory will even be able to witness how it will cover Saturn.

On December 7, faster Mars will pass just two minutes of arc from Neptune, and telescope owners can see this approach. Only the Moon, which is in its first quarter phase, will be able to interfere with observations of Neptune, which will be close to a pair of planets on December 14-15.

And the most long-awaited event of the month is the winter solstice. This year it will happen on December 22 at 1.23, on the day of the full moon. True, the full moon itself will happen in the evening. However, the advance of night will stop and day will begin to arrive.

December will also bring us one of the most powerful meteor showers of the year - the Geminids meteor shower. Maximum activity is expected on the night of December 13-14, when about a hundred meteors can be counted in an hour. The shower's radiant is located in the constellation Gemini. It is assumed that the “parent body” of the Geminids is the asteroid (3200) Phaethon. This stream “catches up” with the Earth, therefore the speed of meteors entering its atmosphere is low, about 5 km/s. Nevertheless, it is quite enough for a grain of sand flying into the atmosphere to leave a bright trace.

Since the most popular starfalls - the Perseids and Leonids - will be in "sleep mode" in the coming years, the Geminids remain the best opportunity for those who like to make wishes, and for the whole year ahead.

Let's not forget about another December meteor shower - the Ursids. But it is weak, no more than 10 meteors per hour. And the maximum of its activity falls on December 22, right on the full moon. It is unlikely that the bright full Moon will allow us to see at least one meteor flying from the constellation Ursa Minor.

In mid-December, a tailed celestial guest will appear in the St. Petersburg sky - comet 46P/Wirtanen. On December 10, it will cross the celestial equator and end up in the northern hemisphere in the area where three constellations intersect - Cetus, Eridanus and Taurus. On December 13, the same day as the Geminids, its maximum brightness is expected to be 4th magnitude. Which means: under ideal weather conditions, it can be seen with the naked eye - in the southern part of the sky. But it’s better to use a small telescope or binoculars. In December, the comet will pass through the constellations Taurus, Perseus, Auriga and will celebrate the New Year in the constellation Lynx. At the same time, its shine will decrease somewhat.

Good luck with your observations and good mood!

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Interactive map of the starry sky at midnight on January 1, 2019 at the latitude of Moscow (controlled with the mouse). Developer: Stuart Lowe

Time runs inexorably forward, and now 2018 is already counting down its last days. New Year's Eve 2019 is ahead. Time for new starts, hopes, plans. We hope that one of our readers will certainly plan to become seriously interested in astronomy in the new year or simply expand their horizons with knowledge of the star patterns of the night sky. But even if you don’t plan either one or the other, your attention is probably drawn to the night sky covered with stars from time to time. And perhaps one of these moments could be New Year’s Eve, during which many stay awake and spend time outside “under the starry dome of the sky” (weather permitting, of course). And today we will tell you what the starry sky will be like on the first night of the coming 2019.

Evening of December 31, 2018

The last day of light of the outgoing 2018 will end with sunset, which at the latitude of Moscow will occur at 16:04. And after about an hour and a half, the last rays of the evening dawn will go out in the southwestern part of the sky, and the dome of the sky will be decorated with patterns of constellations.

With the onset of darkness, we first look at the southern part of the sky, where the planet Mars is located not high above the horizon, which during these months is visible in the sky as a bright reddish star, comparable in brilliance to the brightest stars in the night sky. However, in the southern part of the sky on early December evenings there are no bright stars, so Mars in December 2018 shines here as the only bright “star”, which will undoubtedly allow anyone to accurately find it in the sky.

Mars at the end of December 2018 - beginning of January 2019 moves through the constellation Pisces from west to east. This extended constellation is completely devoid of bright stars and is unlikely to attract your attention. But above Mars, pay attention to the large square of fairly bright stars located high above the horizon. This is the central part of the Pegasus constellation. From the upper left of the “square” star Pegasus stretches a chain of stars of the constellation Andromeda, above which the constellation Cassiopeia in the form of the Latin letter W is clearly visible.

Below Cassiopeia and to the left of Andromeda, we will find the T-shaped constellation Perseus and turn our gaze to the eastern part of the sky, where the stars of the bright winter constellations are already rising. Constellations such as Auriga and Taurus have already risen above the horizon. Gemini and Orion are rising, which is perhaps the most beautiful constellation. As for the well-known Ursa Major bucket, it can be found low in the northern part of the sky.

And in the western part of the sky you can still find three bright stars. Deneb (α Cygnus) is visible high in the sky, below and to the right of which the bright Vega (α Lyrae) shines, and very low above the horizon the bright white star Altair (α Eagle) is visible. And these three bright stars, being the decoration of summer and autumn starry evenings, form in the sky summer-autumn triangle.

Midnight January 1, 2019

Remember the positions of the stars this evening, and then look at the sky again at midnight on January 1, 2019. And you will notice how much his appearance has changed. All the bright winter constellations are located in the southern part of the sky. First of all, this is Orion, distinguished by three stars lined up in one slender line, above which the reddish Betelgeuse (α Orionis) flickers, and below and to the right is the bright white Rigel (β Orionis). Above and to the right of Orion, high in the southwestern part of the sky, are the stars of the constellation Taurus with bright orange Aldebaran (α Tauri), as well as open star clusters clearly visible to the naked eye - the Hyades and Pleiades. High in the sky in the southern part is visible the large pentagon of the constellation Auriga with the bright yellow Capella (α Auriga). Below and to the left of Auriga (above and to the left of Orion) the stars of Gemini catch the eye. These are, first of all, two bright stars: Castor (the one above) and Pollux (the one below and slightly brighter). On star charts, these stars are designated by the Greek letters α and β, respectively. Below Gemini is the small constellation Canis Minor with bright white Procyon (α Canis Minor). And finally, at a low altitude above the horizon in the southern part of the sky we will find a very bright blue-white star. This is Sirius (α Canis Major) - the brightest star in the earth's night sky. Its brightness has a negative value - minus 1.4 stars. led Now look for Procyon and Betelgeuse again and you will notice that in the sky these three bright stars form an almost equilateral triangle, which is called - winter triangle.

Dawn January 1, 2019

And those of you who find the strength to wait for the first morning of the new year will be rewarded with an amazingly beautiful celestial picture that will appear before us at about 6 o’clock in the morning in the southeastern part of the sky. Here the sky will be decorated with the golden crescent of the waning Moon, below and to the left of which the planet Venus will shine as a bright yellowish star. And after 7 o’clock in the morning, against the background of the morning dawn, a yellowish Jupiter will appear low in the southeastern part of the sky, which can be found in the morning sky on January 1 by drawing a mental straight line from the crescent Moon through Venus to the horizon. Although Jupiter is inferior to Venus in brilliance, it is still quite bright, so it is noticeable even against the background of the morning dawn. But it is advisable to try to find it before 8 o’clock in the morning, since then Jupiter will quickly disappear in the bright rays of the flaring morning dawn.

December is the darkest month of the year. The nights in December are so long that in the sky you can see constellations of all seasons if you wish! So, in the early evening in the west you can observe those constellations that are usually considered summer constellations. But they are visible in the east in the morning!

I see, yes, why? The earth rotates on its axis, and we, observers, rotate with it. But it seems to us that we are at rest, but the dome of the sky rotates along with all the stars and planets, the Moon and even the Sun. During a long December night, the dome manages to rotate two-thirds of a revolution (and in the north of Russia there is practically no light at all!), and during this time the picture of the constellations changes very much.

Therefore, to describe the starry sky in December, it makes sense to divide it into evening, night and morning.

Evening starry sky in December

On early evenings in December, three bright stars in the southwest form a large triangle. They are located where the dawn burns out. This Vega, Deneb And Altair, three summer stars; the triangle formed by these stars is called summer or summer-autumn.

Starry sky in December, direction west. The main figure here is the Summer Triangle. Pattern: Stellarium

The sky in the direction of the south and southeast is occupied by autumn constellations. There are no bright stars in this part of the sky, with the exception of the star Fomalhaut, which, however, is observed only in the south of Russia (low above the horizon). But there are bright and expressive constellations among those that are commonly called autumn.

Constellations especially stand out Pegasus And Andromeda. Pegasus stars form in the sky big square, which is located high above the southern horizon on December evenings. The Andromeda star chain of three stars extends from the upper left corner of the square to the east. Together Andromeda and Pegasus form something similar to giant ladle with handle.

December sky in the evening in a southerly direction. In 2018, pay attention to the bright planet Mars, which is located in the constellation Aquarius. Pattern: Stellarium

Above the Andromeda chain of stars, at the zenith, there are five fairly bright stars forming the Latin letter W. This is a constellation Cassiopeia.

A sharp triangle of 4th magnitude stars is visible just below Andromeda. You won't believe it, but this constellation is called Triangle! And two stars of medium brightness, which are located directly below the Triangle, form the pattern of the constellation Aries. Aries- a fairly large constellation, but consisting of dim stars. They are scattered rather randomly around these two stars and are very poorly visible in the city sky.

Other autumn constellations in the city are practically invisible. To see the constellations of Cetus, Pisces, Aquarius and Capricorn - to see exactly the constellations, and not individual stars - you need to get out of the city, to a place where street light and glow from cities and other populated areas do not interfere. However, in December 2018, one bright “star” was still present in this area of ​​the sky - this the planet Mars. You can easily recognize it by its characteristic reddish color.

If we look east on a December evening, we will see the winter constellations rising.

The constellations Auriga, Taurus and Perseus are in the east on December evenings. Pattern: Stellarium

In the early evening a bright star attracts attention Chapel, leading the constellation Charioteer. The main design of this constellation is an irregular quadrangle, the upper right corner of which is Capella. Notice the sharp isosceles triangle just below this star. Two of them are outstanding variable stars, epsilon And Zeta Aurigae, the study of which, even by amateur means, is of enormous interest.

Between the Capella and the "handle" of Andromeda there is a constellation Perseus, looks like an upside down letter U(or Y if you prefer). In the center of the figure is the brightest star Perseus, Mirfak, which simultaneously lies on the continuation of the chain of Andromeda stars. And at the right top of the inverted letter Y is the famous variable star Algol, the “star of the devil.”

Under the constellation Perseus, low above the horizon is observed Taurus constellation. The brightest star of Taurus, Aldebaran, has a distinct reddish tint; low above the horizon it often flickers and shimmers in different colors. To the right and above Aldebaran is the Pleiades bucket, which in the city is often observed as a hazy oblong cluster of dim stars.

Finally the northern sky is occupied Big And Ursa Minor. The main drawing of the Big Dipper, called the Big Dipper, I have no doubt, is well known to you. Keep in mind that it is only a small part of a vast constellation that extends to the right of the bucket and down almost to the horizon.

The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are observed in December evenings in the northern sky. Pattern: Stellarium

Ursa Minor, on the contrary, the constellation is small and compact, almost completely limited by the Little Dipper. Four of the seven stars of the Little Dipper are so dim that they are almost never visible in the sky of large cities. For observation, there are two stars that form the front wall of the Small Dipper, called the Guardians of the Pole, and the famous Polaris, which is known for the fact that it always remains in the same place, regardless of the time of day or season.

Finding the North Star is easy using the stars of the Big Dipper.

Starry sky in December at night

By midnight, the starry sky in December is transformed. The summer constellations disappeared behind the horizon; in the west, their place was taken by the constellations of the autumn sky - Pegasus, Pisces and Aquarius.

The chain of Andromeda stars is still observed high above the southwestern horizon, but it is no longer in a horizontal position, as it was in the evening, but at an angle. Pegasus Square also slopes towards the horizon.

Starry sky in December around midnight. Direction west. Pattern: Stellarium

The place of autumn constellations in the south was taken by Taurus, Auriga and Perseus. The last two constellations are almost at the zenith at night. Faint stars of the constellation are visible near the horizon Eridani.

Bright seven star Orion observed in the southeast; beneath it the brightest star of the night sky flickers and, quite possibly, shimmers in different colors, Sirius. Twins And Small Dog limit the brilliant picture of winter constellations from the east.

Starry sky in December. Heading south. Pattern: Stellarium

I don’t know the sky of the southern hemisphere of the Earth very well, but in our northern sky there is nothing similar to the sector of winter constellations in its beauty and expressiveness!

Big Dipper, which was strictly in the north in the evening, by midnight moves to the northeast and rises in the sky. At the same time he leans over- with the bucket up and the handle down. Below it - a little to the west - spring rises Leo constellation, the most characteristic pattern of which is large trapezoid of four stars.

In December, around midnight, the constellation Leo rises in the east. Pattern: Stellarium

The northern side of the sky is occupied by the constellation Dragon, above which the same Small Bucket is located.

Morning starry sky in December

How does the December starry sky change at dawn?

The picture of the winter sky, so bright and beautiful, almost completely disappeared beyond the horizon in the west. Of all the winter constellations, only Perseus, Auriga, Gemini and Canis Minor remain. From the constellation Orion, only the northern star Betelgeuse remains, but even that one is close to sunset.

In the predawn sky in December, the classic winter constellations are far to the west. Pattern: Stellarium

The south of the sky is occupied by the dim and completely inexpressive spring constellations of Cancer, Hydra, Chalice, Sextant... Against their background, the trapezoid of Leo, which itself is also not very bright, literally catches the eye. This is the main drawing of the spring starry sky.

There are two bright stars in the southeast - Arcturus And Spica, leading constellations Bootes and Virgo. In 2018, near Spica is located very bright planet Venus.

Starry sky in December before dawn. Direction east. Pattern: Stellarium

The summer constellations, Hercules, Serpent and Ophiuchus, Lyra and Cygnus, rise in the east and northeast. The Big Dipper's bucket is at its zenith.

Where is Ursa Minor? Yes, it’s all there, in the north! The North Star takes its place, practically without moving, and all the other stars of Ursa Minor, including the Guardians of the Pole, make such small circles around it that they can be easily found if you just look north.

The area of ​​sky between the constellation Ursa Minor and the horizon is occupied by constellation Cepheus, consisting of an irregular quadrangle and an asterisk above it, forming a pointed roof for the house. On the left, adjacent to Cepheus is the already familiar constellation Cassiopeia in the form of the Latin letter W.

Morning starry sky in December. Direction north. Pattern: Stellarium

We briefly ran through the starry sky of December. The pictures we describe will be observed every December - in a year, two, ten and even a hundred years. The only changes that will occur to her are related to the Moon and planets. In 2018, Venus attracts attention in the morning sky of December, the brightest celestial body after the Sun and Moon. Reddish Mars is visible in the evening sky. In subsequent years, the configuration of the planets will be different, and this may create a little confusion in the picture of the starry sky - but only if you are not at all oriented among the constellations.

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The astronomical calendar for December 2018 reports interesting phenomena. One of them is comet 46P/Wirtanen, which can be seen from the beginning of the month.

December is a good time for observations, although the cold in most regions of Russia does its best to prevent this. But this month there are no longer as many clouds as in November and October, and you probably won’t miss any interesting astronomical event. In addition, this month has the longest and darkest nights, which begin early.

In December, according to the astronomical calendar, there is one such important event - the winter solstice on December 21. He also has an exact time - 22:23 Moscow time. From this moment on, astronomical winter begins, but the days will begin to increase, not decrease.

The starry sky in December is magnificent. Everything, rich in attractions, sparkles on it in all its glory. In the south, a gigantic figure winking at the red giant Betelgeuse immediately attracts attention. Below blazes Sirius, alpha and the brightest star in the northern hemisphere. Above and to the right of Orion is Aldebaran, surrounded by the Hyades cluster, and not far from it are the magnificent Pleiades. Even higher - with the beautiful Chapel.

The starry sky in December is the southern part.

To the left and above Orion, high above the horizon, the constellation Castor and Pollux sparkle. By the way, Castor is a six-time star, quite interesting. Towards the East shines Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation.

Starry sky in December - northern part.

The autumn constellations are leaning towards the west.

Astronomical calendar for December 2018

In December 2018, the astronomical calendar promises a couple of meteor showers, of which the Geminids with a maximum on December 14 is quite abundant - up to 120 meteors per hour. In addition, comet 46P/Wirtanen can be observed with the naked eye from the beginning of the month, and by mid-December it will reach its closest point to Earth.

The times of the astronomical events in December 20128 listed below are indicated in Moscow.

1.12 – evening visibility ends.

3.12 – at 12:00 the passage of the Moon is 7 degrees north of Spica.

4.12 – at 00:00 the passage of the Moon is 3 degrees north of Venus.

5.12 – passage of the Moon near Mercury.

6.12 – close passage of the Moon.

6.12 – at 23:50 the station of Mercury, the transition from retrograde motion to direct motion.

7.12 – the morning visibility of Mercury begins.

7.12 – the beginning of activity of the Geminids meteor shower.

7.12 – at 10:22 there is a new moon.

7.12 – passage of the Moon 2 arc minutes north of Neptune.

9.12 – at 08:00 the occultation of Saturn by the Moon. Apparently in Siberia and the Far East, but this event will happen there during the day.

12.12 – at 15:27 the Moon is at its apogee, the distance from the Earth is 405176 km.

13.12 – comet 47P/Wirtanen passes the perihelion point, distance from the Sun is 1.05 AU.

14.12 – at 15:00 the maximum of the Geminids meteor shower with a radiant in the constellation Gemini. Up to 120 meteors per hour are expected.

14.12 – at 20:00 the passage of the Moon is 3 degrees south of Neptune.

15.12 – at 05:00 the passage of the Moon is 3 degrees south of Mars.

15.12 – at 14:50 The moon is in the first quarter phase.

15.12 – The maximum western morning elongation of Mercury is 21.5 degrees.

16.12 – Comet 46P/Wirtanen passes within 4 degrees of the Pleiades cluster. Its brightness is +4m, i.e. visible to the naked eye. On this day, the comet is at its minimum distance from Earth - 11.5 million kilometers.

17.12 – the end of the Geminids meteor shower.

17.12 – the beginning of the Ursid meteor shower.

18.12 – the beginning of the morning visibility of Jupiter.

18.12 – at 10:00 the passage of the Moon is 5 degrees south of Uranus.

21.12 – at 08:00 the Moon is in the Hyades cluster.

21.12 – at 11:00 the passage of the Moon is 2 degrees north of Aldebaran.

21.12 – at 21:00 the passage of Mercury is 1 degree north of Jupiter.

21.12 – at 22:23 winter solstice.

22.12 – at 20:50 full moon.

22.12 – the maximum of the Ursid meteor shower with a radiant in the constellation Ursa Minor. Up to 10 meteors per hour are expected.

23.12 – passage of Jupiter 5 degrees north of Antares.

23.12 – passage of comet 46P/Wirtanen 1 degree from Capella, alpha of the constellation Auriga.

23.12 – evening visibility of Mercury ends.

24.12 – at 09:00 the passage of the Moon is 4 degrees south of Pollux.

24.12 – at 12:53 the Moon is at the perigee point, the distance from the Earth is 361059 km.

26.12 – the end of the Ursids meteor shower.

26.12 – at 21:00 the passage of the Moon is 2 degrees north of Regulus.

26.12 – Venus at perihelion point.

28.12 – the beginning of the Quadrantids meteor shower.

29.12 – at 12:37 The moon is in the last quarter phase.

30.12 – at 18:00 the passage of the Moon is 7 degrees north of Spica.

Moon in December 2018

The phases of the moon in December 2018 are presented below.

Comet 46P/Wirtanen November 26, 2018. Photo by Gerald Rehmann.
Location: Farm Tivoli, Namibia/SW-Africa.
Telescope: ASA Astrograph 12″f3.6.
Camera: FLI ML 16200.
Mount: ASA DDM85.
Exposure: LRGB 30/15/15/15 min.

Within a month, the comet can be found using the map below. On December 16, comet 46P/Wirtanen will be at its minimum distance from Earth, its brightness will reach +4m. Since the beginning of the month, it can be detected with the naked eye with good vision.

On December 16, the comet will be very close to the Pleiades cluster and will be very easy to find. On December 23, it will be near Capella and also easy to find.

Planets in December 2018

According to the astronomical calendar, the visibility of the planets in December 2018 will be as follows:

Evening– Neptune and Mars (before midnight).

Night- Uranus.

Morning– Mercury, Venus, Jupiter (at the end of the month).

Meteor showers

In December, the astronomical calendar for December 2018 promises two meteor showers:

• Geminids have a radiant in the constellation Gemini, the beginning of activity is on December 7, the end is on December 17, and the maximum is on December 14 - up to 120 meteors per hour are expected.
• Ursids have a radiant in the constellation Ursa Minor, begin activity on December 17, stop on December 26, maximum on December 22 - up to 10 meteors per hour are expected.

On December 28, the Quadrantids meteor shower begins activity, with a radiant in the constellation Bootes, but its maximum occurs on January 3-4. Its activity reaches 200 meteors per hour.

Gemenids in the skies of Alaska

What can you observe through a telescope in December?

December frosts are not very conducive to telescope observations, but this does not stop astronomy lovers. In December, you can observe many interesting objects, since the winter constellations are very rich in attractions.

Double stars: θ Orion, ι Cancer, θ Taurus, γ Andromeda, η Perseus, η Cassiopeia;

Variable stars: δ Cepheus, ζ Gemini, β Perseus, λ Taurus;

Open star clusters: Manger (Cancer), Pleiades (Taurus), M35 (Gemini), h and χ Perseus;

Nebulae: M1 in the constellation Taurus, M42 in the constellation Orion;

Galaxies: M31 in the constellation Andromeda, M33 in the constellation Triangulum, M81 and M82 in the constellation .

These are the brightest objects that can be found through binoculars or even with the naked eye, although through a telescope they look much more interesting and impressive. If you wish, you can find dozens of other interesting nebulae, galaxies, and clusters.