December 2023 Sky
- Posted by OCastronomy
- On December 2, 2023
- 0 Comments
- Asteroid 4 Vesta, Beehive cluster M44, Castor, December solstice, Geminid Meteor Shower, Jupiter, M35 star cluster, Mercury, Pleiades, Pollux, Regulus, Saturn, Spica, Venus
December 2023 Sky
| 1 | Moon near Pollux at 4h UT (morning sky). |
| 2 | Moon near Beehive cluster M44 at 8h UT (morning sky). • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD) |
| 4 | Moon near Regulus at 5h UT (morning sky). • Regulus (Wikipedia) |
| 4 | Mercury at greatest elongation east at 14h UT (21° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. −0.4. |
| 4 | Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 19h UT (distance 404,346km; angular size 29.6′). |
| 5 | Last Quarter Moon at 5:51 UT. |
| 8 | Moon near Spica at 17h UT (morning sky). • Spica (Wikipedia) |
| 9 | Moon near Venus at 15h UT (42° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. −4.1. • Venus (Wikipedia) |
| 12 | New Moon at 23:31 UT. Start of lunation 1249. |
| 14 | Moon near Mercury at 6h UT (16° from Sun, evening sky). Mag. 0.6. • Mercury (Wikipedia) |
| 14 | Geminid Meteor Shower peaks in a broad maximum centred at 19h UT. Active December 4−17. Produces bright, medium-speed meteors at its peak (up to 80 meteors/hour). The best and most reliable of the major annual showers. A Moon-free sky will ensure ideal viewing conditions. • Geminids (American Meteor Society) |
| 16 | Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 18:44 UT (distance 367,901km; angular size 32.5′). |
| 18 | Moon near Saturn at 1h UT (evening sky). Mag. 0.9. • Saturn (Wikipedia) |
| 19 | First Quarter Moon at 18:39 UT. |
| 21 | Asteroid 4 Vesta at opposition at 12h UT. Mag. 6.4. |
| 22 | December solstice at 3:28 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 | Moon near Jupiter at 13h UT (evening sky). Mag. −2.7. • Jupiter (Wikipedia) |
| 22 | Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun at 19h UT. The innermost planet passes into the morning sky. |
| 24 | Moon near the Pleiades at 10h UT (evening sky). • The Pleiades (Wikipedia) |
| 26 | Moon near M35 star cluster at 20h UT (midnight sky). |
| 27 | Full Moon at 0:33 UT. |
| 28 | Moon near Castor at 7h UT (morning sky). |
| 28 | Moon near Pollux at 13h UT (morning sky). |
| 29 | Moon near Beehive cluster M44 at 16h UT (morning sky). |
| December 2023 Sky All times Universal Time (UT). | |
