Hey there, Star Trails listeners, Drew here, and I've got a quick update for you.
The Star Trails podcast is going to be taking a little holiday break for the next month.
We'll be back in January with more Star Gazing Tips, Celestial Stories, and updates on all
the cosmic events coming your way.
During this hiatus, we're going to take some time to recharge, brainstorm new ideas, and
make sure we're bringing you the very best Star Gazing content when we return.
We'll pick up right where we left off, exploring the night sky together.
In the meantime, keep looking up.
December has plenty of celestial events to keep Star Gazers entertained.
Here's a quick guide to what you can expect to see.
Jupiter is at opposition on December 7th and will be at its closest approach to Earth, making
it appear brighter and larger in the night sky.
It will rise in the east after sunset and remain visible all night, positioned among the stars
of Taurus.
The Geminid meteor shower peaks around December 13th and 14th.
While the Geminids are typically a highlight of December, a nearly full moon will make
conditions less favorable this year.
Expect to see around 10 to 15 meteors per hour under good viewing conditions.
The December full moon, known as the Cold Moon, arrives on the 15th and will reach peak
illumination early in the morning around 4 a.m.
This bright full moon will dominate the sky, making it a good opportunity for lunar photography.
The winter solstice is December 21st.
This marks the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and is a perfect opportunity
for an extended night of stargazing.
The Erced meteor shower peaks around December 21st and 22nd.
Although less active than the Geminids, this smaller meteor shower could produce around
5 to 10 meteors per hour.
Just viewed late at night, the waning moon will provide darker skies later in the evening.
Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation on December 25th, making it easier to spot
in the morning sky before sunrise.
So if you're up early on Christmas morning, look to the east-southeast to catch this
elusive planet.
How about joining me in a kind of Star Trails book club?
My pick for December is Night Watch, a practical guide to viewing the universe by Terrence
Dickinson.
It's been one of the top astronomy books for more than 20 years and it's a go-to resource
for stargazers at every level.
I've never read it myself, so I'll be checking it out this month to enhance my own sky-watching.
Grab a copy and join me.
Also if you're a new listener, December is a great time to catch up on our back catalog.
Visit our website, StarTrails.show, where you can find all of our shows, including transcripts.
Some of my favorite episodes from the past year include Episode 41, where I took listeners
inside a local star party.
Episode 35 is about stargazing while on vacation, and if you want to hear something truly out
of this world, check out Episode 31, where we listened to some pulsars, the cosmic clocks
of the universe.
I'll include links to these episodes in the show notes.
As always, if you find some value in the show, please share it with a friend.
We really appreciate it.
Until next month, clear skies and happy stargazing.