WHAT'S UP
© 2002 Vernon Whetstone

For the week of December 8-14

At last, I am back after a long absence. What with harvest, illness (the family and mine), Thanksgiving, and other such stuff now out of the way I can return to the sky and the keyboard.

Alas, but there are a few things we missed. One was the fabulous conjunction of the slender waning crescent Moon, Venus, and Mars in the early morning sky of December 1. I say we missed it not because I wasn’t able to advise you loyal readers of it, it was cloudy that morning and we all did really miss it. Yes, I did break my rule of no morning astronomy, but that was something I wanted to see. I was up and out later in the morning, after sunrise, and I could still see Venus brightly shining just off one of the points of the Moon’s crescent.

As for this week, the Geminids are coming, the meteor shower that is. On the evening of Friday, December 13 and the early morning of Saturday, December 14 find yourself a dark sky place; get a reclining lawn chair, a warm blanket or sleeping bag and a large jug of hot chocolate.

Look for the constellation Gemini just after 10 pm in the east. It is just about level with and to the left (as you are looking at it) or Orion the Hunter. The meteor shower is called the Geminids because it will seem to originate from Gemini. The peak will be Friday night from just after 10 pm until dawn on Saturday. A waxing half-Moon will be in the way of good viewing until about 12:30 am on Saturday, after that it will be good dark-sky time.

While you are waiting for the meteors take time to look at Jupiter and Saturn. Both gas giant planets will be well placed for evening viewing. Saturn is between Gemini and Orion and Jupiter is just below the constellation Cancer with the delightful Beehive Cluster (M44) in the center of it. A good target for small telescope or binoculars.

Until next time, clear skies and happy viewing.

Information used to prepare this article came from one or more of the following sources: Astronomy Magazine Published by Kalmbach Publishing Co.; December Sky Calendar, published by the Abrams Planetarium; Sky & Telescope's Skyline; Sky Watch by Fred Schaaf; United States Navel Observatory; North American Skies from the Denver Astronomical Society; Star Trak by Hal Kibbey of Indiana University; Earth and Sky on National Public Radio; Distant Suns software by Mike Smithwick; Starry Night Backyard software by Siennasoft; Stargazing for Beginners by John Mosley published by Roxbury Park/Lowell House, 365 Starry Nights by Chet Raymo published by Fireside books and Nightwatch by Terrence Dickinson published by Camden House Publishing; Burnham's Celestial Handbook by Robert Burnham, Jr. published by Dover Publications, Inc., New York.



P.S. Don't forget to get your star chart for December at www.skymaps.com. They are free, and easy to
download and print on your own printer.

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