Dark Sky Maine Newsletter #6

Solstice Greetings from Dark Sky Maine!

This is the darkest month of the year, a great time to bundle up and enjoy Maine’s clear dark skies. There are several astronomical events visible this December. We encourage you to take the time to be aware of these events and observe them if you can.

December Highlights:

• December 13-14 is the peak of the annual Geminid Meteor Shower, one of the very best meteor showers of the year. This year it occurs on the New Moon, so there will be no glare from the Moon. The best time to watch is after 11 pm, look for a maximum of 150 meteors per hour.

• December 21 is the winter solstice—the first day of winter—and the shortest day of the year with only 8 hours and 49 minutes of daylight. Look for sunrise at 7:12 a.m. and sunset at 4:01 p.m.

• December is the month of the great Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction. Watch all month in the low southwestern sky just after sunset as these two bright planets move closer together culminating in their closest approach on December 21 when they will be just 0.1° apart. They haven't appeared this close together in the sky since 1623 and won't be this close again until 2080. Both planets will visible together within the field of view of most telescopes, something that no one alive has ever seen!

We hope your holiday season is filled with laughter, health, and cheer. Keep looking up to the skies!

~The team at Dark Sky Maine