The Geminid meteor shower—usually the best of the annual “shooting star” turns—is due to peak on the night of December 13–14. As the shower’s name implies, the point from which the meteors appear to radiate is in the constellation Gemini, the Twins. The radiant is already fairly high above the horizon at 10 p.m. local time, presenting a broad area of sky in which to look for meteors. Geminids are relatively slow and quite bright; many are yellow. The meteor rate builds gradually in the week prior to the peak, at which, if the night is clear, as many as 120 may be observed per hour. The rate then drops off fairly sharply. Late Geminids, however, can be especially bright.

Noteworthy on a longer time scale is the increasing conspicuousness of Mars. The Red Planet is growing bigger and brighter because Earth, in a faster orbit around the Sun, is catching up to it. On January 27 Mars is only 61.7 million miles from Earth, closer than it will be again until March 2014.

During January Mars outshines all stars and other planets in the night sky except Sirius and Jupiter. It also looms large enough for amateur telescopes of medium size (6 to 8 inches) to reveal not only the bright north polar ice cap but also dark surface details, and perhaps ice clouds and “limb haze.” The latter is the haze of water ice, carbon dioxide, and dust that arises on Mars along the border between night and day—as a result of the transition in temperature—and which from our point of view shows up on the planet’s limb, or edge.

Mars is in opposition to the Sun (on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun) on the 29th, rising at sunset, reaching its highest point in the southern sky at midnight, and setting at sunrise. That provides ample time to train a telescope on it. The planet’s north pole is tilted 12 degrees toward us—and toward the Sun—making the season mid-spring in the planet’s northern hemisphere.

DECEMBER NIGHTS OUT

1 Venus appears as the Morning Star just above the east-southeast horizon, but is obscured in minutes by the brightening twilight. The planet is approaching superior conjunction, on January 11, when it passes on the far side of the Sun. Venus’s return as the Evening Star is not readily apparent before late February.

2 The Moon becomes full at 2:30 a.m. eastern standard time (EST).

8 The Moon wanes to last quarter at 7:13 p.m. EST.

10 During the predawn hours, the Moon shines in the southeast, with Saturn well above it and a bit to the left.

13 The Geminid meteor shower peaks late tonight and during the predawn hours of the 14th (see story above).

16 The Moon is new at 7:02 a.m. EST.

21 The Sun reaches its southernmost point south of the celestial equator (Earth’s equator projected onto the heavens) and begins its six-month return northward. The solstice occurs at 12:47 p.m. EST, initiating winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern.

24 The Moon waxes to first quarter at 12:36 p.m. EST.

31 Beginning at 1:53 p.m. EST the Moon’s southern edge dips into the Earth’s umbra—the hard-edged shadow—and is tinged black or brown for just over an hour. This is a predawn show for most of Alaska; a New Year’s Eve show for Europe, Africa, and western Asia; and a post-midnight (early 2010) show from central Asia to central Australia. At 2:13 p.m. EST, the Moon is full for the second time this month.

JANUARY NIGHTS OUT

2 Soon after 8 p.m. local time look for the rising Moon in the east-northeast. Well off to its left shines Mars (see story above).

5 In the hour before midnight, the Moon rises in the eastern sky, followed by Saturn well to its left.

7 The Moon wanes to last quarter at 5:39 a.m. EST.

13 Mercury rises in the southeast about an hour and a quarter before sunrise. With binoculars, look for the Moon, a razor-thin sliver about 6 degrees below and to Mercury’s right.

15 The Moon is new at 2:11 a.m. EST. Also, an annular (ring) eclipse of the Sun sweeps over parts of Africa, India, and China.

18 In the west-southwest, about a half hour after sunset, Jupiter sits well below the slender crescent Moon.

23 The Moon waxes to first quarter at 5:53 a.m. EST.

27 Mercury is at its greatest western elongation, 25 degrees from the Sun, rising about ninety minutes before sunup. At 2:01 p.m. EST, Mars and Earth reach their closest approach for the year, a distance of 61,720,695 miles (see story above).

29 Mars is at opposition to the Sun (see story above). The Moon is full at 1:18 a.m. EST.

FEBRUARY NIGHTS OUT

2 The Moon rises a couple of hours before midnight local time. The yellowish-white “star” shining above and to its left, about 10 degrees away, is Saturn.  

5 The Moon wanes to last quarter at 6:48 p.m. EST.

13 The Moon is new at 9:51 p.m. EST.

16 Venus and Jupiter come within about half a degree of each other. You might be able to spot them through binoculars if you scan the sky close above and to the left of where the Sun has just set.

21 The Moon waxes to first quarter at 7:42 p.m. EST.

28 The Moon is full at 11:38 a.m. EST.