December 2018 Sky
- Posted by OCastronomy
- On December 1, 2018
- 0 Comments
- Aldebaran, Beehive cluster M44, Castor, Geminid Meteor Shower, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Mercury at greatest elongation, Neptune, Pleiades, Pollux, Regulus, Saturn, Spica, Venus, Winter Solstice
December 2018 Sky
| 3 | Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 9h UT. |
| 3 | Moon near Venus (41° from Sun, morning sky) at 21h UT. Mag. −4.7. • Venus (Wikipedia) |
| 5 | Moon near Mercury (17° from Sun, morning sky) at 22h UT. Mag. 0.9. |
| 7 | New Moon at 7:21 UT. Start of lunation 1187. • Lunation Number (Wikipedia) |
| 7 | Mars 0.04° NNW of Neptune (88° from Sun, evening sky) at 14h UT. Mags. 0.1 and 7.9. |
| 9 | Moon near Saturn (evening sky) at 5h UT. Mag. 0.5. • Saturn (Wikipedia) |
| 12 | Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 12h UT (distance 405,177 km; angular size 29.5′). |
| 14 | Geminid Meteor Shower peaks at 12:30 UT. Produces bright, medium-speed meteors at its peak (up to 80 meteors/hour). Most reliable meteor shower. Easy to observe (radiant on sky map). Best after midnight. • Meteor Shower Calendar (IMO) • Geminids (NASA) • Geminids of the North (APOD) |
| 15 | Moon near Mars (evening sky) at 2h UT. Mag. 0.2. • Mars (Wikipedia) |
| 15 | Mercury at greatest elongation west (21° from Sun, morning sky) at 11h UT. Mag. −0.4. |
| 15 | First Quarter Moon at 11:48 UT. |
| 20 | Moon near the Pleiades (evening sky) at 16h UT. • The Pleiades (Wikipedia) |
| 21 | Moon near Aldebaran (evening sky) at 7h UT. • Aldebaran (Wikipedia) |
| 21 | Mercury 0.8° NNE of Jupiter (20° from Sun, morning sky) at 20h UT. Mags. −0.4 and −1.8. |
| 21 | December solstice at 22:25 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point farthest south of the celestial equator marking the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. • December Solstice (Wikipedia) |
| 22 | Full Moon at 17:49 UT. • Full Moon Names (Wikipedia) |
| 23 | Jupiter 5.2° N of Antares (22° from Sun, morning sky) at 20h UT. Mags. −1.8 and 1.0. |
| 24 | Moon near Castor (morning sky) at 3h UT. |
| 24 | Moon near Pollux (morning sky) at 7h UT. |
| 24 | Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 9:57 UT (361,062 km; angular size 33.1′). |
| 25 | Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (morning sky) at 5h UT. • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD) |
| 26 | Moon near Regulus (morning sky) at 18h UT. • Regulus (Wikipedia) |
| 29 | Last Quarter Moon at 9:36 UT. |
| 30 | Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 15h UT. |
| December 2018 Sky All times Universal Time (UT). | |
