Nan at Night by Nan Hoyt
-Thursday the 18th: The “Lord of the Rings,” Saturn, the second-largest planet in our solar system, is to the upper left of the moon as they rise after midnight tonight. Saturn has a slightly golden color. Regulus, the star at the “heart” of Leo the Lion, shines well above them.
-Friday the 19th: Get your wishes ready, the Earth is actually plowing through an old stream of comet dust tonight creating the less known Ursid meteor shower. It is usually an unremarkable event but occasionally, it puts on quite an impressive show. The Moon is half-lit in its third quarter stage tonight.
-Saturday the 20th: During our long cold winter nights we gaze toward the edge of the Milky Way galaxy’s massive disk of stars. The point that is exactly opposite the center of the galaxy is in the direction of a bright blue star in Taurus called Alnath, which is the tip of one of the ferocious bull’s horns.
-Sunday the 21st: Welcome winter! Today is the December solstice, which marks the start of the winter season in the northern hemisphere. Its arrival occurs at exactly 4:04 a.m. this morning. This is the moment when the Sun stands farthest south for the year, and will soon begin its arduous trek back to the north. This is the shortest day of the year in our neck of the woods but if you happen to be “down under” in the southern hemisphere, you’ll experience their longest day!
-Wednesday the 24th: Look for a shining red light rising out of the northern sky around midnight tonight. It is an awe inspiring sight that faithfully comes to pass once a year on this magical night, circumnavigating the Earth. Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!
-Thursday the 25th: Merry Christmas to all! Take that new telescope out from Santa tonight and look at the brilliant shimmering winter sky. Turn it on brilliant Venus as it rises out of the west outshining everything in the sky except the moon. Notice that Venus is in a gibbous stage much like the Moon, as it has similar phases due to its inner Earth orbit. Checking out Saturn’s rings is always a thrill as well, albeit it will be quite late in the evening when it rises. Be sure and bring out the whole family for your star show!
The longest night of the year is upon us and we all pause to assess what this exactly means (besides extra time for stargazing!) The December solstice is a major celestial event that has been tracked and celebrated since ancient times. Many of our current holidays revolve around these events and this one is no exception. The word “solstice” actually translates into “Sun Stop.” This is the exact moment of the year when the Earth reaches its farthest point south (or north in our summer) and begins its trek back the other way. This phenomenon is actually measured by the Sun’s height at noon. On our winter (or December) solstice the Sun’s height is at its lowest point whereas on our summer (or June) solstice it is at its maximum height. The difference between these two heights is an astonishing 47 degrees. The other variable is the tilt of the Earth on its axis. When the northern hemisphere of the Earth is tilted away from the Sun, as it is now, we experience winter while the southern hemisphere has the greatest Sun exposure initiating their summer. Despite all of the scientific reasoning, it is surprisingly an exceptional day and for those of you yearning for light and warmth, remember, that this day marks the beginning of our return to summer. It’s good to be back…Happy Holidays!
