December 2022 will feature the longest nights of the year, and there will be many astronomical events to keep your attention. This December will be a great month for astronomy enthusiasts as this month has a great number of astronomical spectacles lined up.
Be sure to mark these dates on your calendars so you don’t miss out on these incredible astronomical events.
December 8: Full Moon
It will be the last time this year that the Sun fully illuminates the Moon. Since the cold winter air sets in during this time, this Full Moon is also known as the Cold Moon. Also, Mars will be closest to Earth on this date than at any other time of the year and will be fully illuminated by the Sun.
December 13, 14: Geminids Meteor Shower
The Geminids is also known as the king of the meteor showers. During its peak, the shower produces up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour. Many people consider it the best shower in the heavens. Its Peak time is the night of the 13th and the morning of the 14th.
December 21: Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation
Mercury reaches its greatest eastern elongation from the Sun at 20.1 degrees. Since Mercury will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky, almost unimpeded by sunlight, this is the best time to view it.
December 21, 22: Ursids Meteor Shower
The Ursids meteor shower holds its own pretty well, despite being overshadowed by the Geminids. Approximately 5-10 meteors per hour are produced by this minor meteor shower. It peaks this year on the night of the 21st and the morning of the 22nd.
December 23: New Moon
On this date, the Moon will disappear briefly into the night sky, rounding off this year’s skywatching season. An event like this takes place when the Moon is at its closest orbital approach to the Earth, making it somewhat rare.
(This story has been sourced from a third-party syndicated feed, agencies. Raavi Media accepts no responsibility or liability for the text’s dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, and data. Raavi Media management/ythisnews.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content at its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.)
