December is the first month of calendar winter. And it fully provides the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the winter sky, which has the largest selection of bright stars and memorable constellations. But at the same time, we still have time to look at the autumn constellations - in the evening, immediately after sunset, they will be presented in the southern part of the sky, and some summer constellations can still be seen above the cold glow of the winter evening dawn in the west.

In early December, experienced observers can still spot Saturn, the most distant planet in the Solar System visible to the naked eye. Saturn will be located in the constellation Sagittarius. The constellation itself - its stellar figure - will not be visible in the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere. But Saturn in the form of a 1st magnitude star, lost in the light of the evening dawn, will be possible to find with binoculars or a telescope within an hour after sunset. And with each subsequent December day, Saturn will be more and more difficult to see. Its visibility will end in the middle of the month, but on the evening of December 9, Saturn will have its last meeting with the Moon.

By the time it finally gets dark and enough stars are visible to form constellations (around 6 p.m.), the Summer Triangle, made up of the three brightest stars of the constellations Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila, will still be visible above the western horizon. These stars are called Vega, Deneb and Altair. They are slowly leaning towards the horizon, but only one will go beyond it - Alpha Eagle - Altair. Vega and Deneb are non-setting at the latitude of Moscow. On winter nights they are located very low above the horizon and, as a rule, hide behind the dark silhouettes of houses.

On December evenings, the Big Dipper dipper lies low and parallel to the horizon above the north point. The two outermost stars of the bucket point to the North Star, which for the eye does not change its position in the sky and is the main guiding star. The North Star belongs to the constellation Ursa Minor, which is extremely difficult to see in the city. The Dragon, which is also not a constellation rich in bright stars, winds its way between Ursa Ursa. Its “head” - a compact, noticeable figure of four stars - reaches towards Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra.

Above the North Star - at approximately the same distance that separates the Big Dipper and the North Star, only postponed further - towards the zenith - you can easily see the constellation Cassiopeia, similar to the letter M. Cepheus and Giraffe located nearby are difficult to see in the city.

To the right of the Ursa Major Dipper - above the northeast - one of the pearls of the winter sky is already rising - the yellowish Capella - alpha Auriga.

At about 8 o'clock in the evening, autumn constellations are clearly visible above the southern part of the horizon. The still bright and distinctly red Mars in the constellation Aquarius leans slightly to the west. He went through the confrontation at the end of July and it was a great confrontation. But the planet remains quite close to Earth, and is now very conveniently located for observations. A few days ago, another earthly robotic research station - InSight - safely landed on its surface - its research task is to study the internal structure of the red planet, for which the station is equipped with a large number of seismic sensors and a drilling rig capable of penetrating several meters into the depths and taking from there soil samples.

Directly above the south point lies a group of constellations related to the Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda. The white-winged horse Pegasus, who has one common star with Andromeda, and then the hero Perseus, who is easily located in the continuation of the chain of stars of Andromeda. If we tilt our heads even higher, we will meet the already familiar Cassiopeia. And only Keith is somewhat separated from this group - closer to the horizon. He is separated from other participants in the legend by a bunch of two tireless fish connected by tails - the constellation Pisces has nothing to do with the mentioned myth.

By midnight, a group of winter constellations rises to the greatest height above the southern side of the horizon, collecting the largest number of bright stars - no other seasonal groups can boast of the same. The central position here is occupied by Orion - the brightest constellation in the earth's sky. His figure contains 7 of the brightest stars of the sky. Orange Betelgeuse, standing on the threshold of a supernova explosion, piercing blue Rigel, located symmetrically to Betelgeuse relative to a line passing through Orion's belt.

Orion's belt, in turn, consists of three stars equidistant on the celestial sphere - Mintaka, Alnilam and Alnitak. The two extreme ones are 800 and 900 light years away from Earth. The average one is another 400 light years further, so their apparent proximity to each other is actually illusory. To the right (west) of Betelgeuse sparkles a blue diamond - Bellatrix, and to the left (east) of Rigel - blue Saif.

In the very middle of the triangle of stars formed by Rigel, Saif and Alnilam, it is not difficult to find an asterism (group of stars) called “The Sword of Orion” - it is in it that the central part of the famous Orion Nebula is located, which is clearly visible in binoculars and telescopes. With the naked eye, the Orion Nebula can also be seen - as a subtle glow around the central star of the Sword of Orion. Through a telescope you can already examine its fibrous structure, and notice that the stars immersed in it form a very beautiful open cluster.

Photographs taken with special astro cameras show that the Orion Nebula occupies almost the entire constellation, that it is red in color, which means it consists of hydrogen, the main building material in the Universe. And right before our eyes, new stars are born in the Orion Nebula.

Extending the line along which the stars of Orion's belt are located to the east, we find the brightest star in the entire sky - Sirius. It belongs to the constellation Canis Major and is one of the stars closest to us - the light from Sirius travels to the Solar System in only 8 and a half years, while the radiance of the Orion Nebula reaches us after 1300 years of travel.

The celestial hunter Orion has another dog - the Small Dog. This constellation can be seen directly above Canis Major, and is marked by a bright star called Procyon - a yellowish star only 11 light years away from the Sun - also one of the Sun's closest neighbors.

Between Canis Major and Canis Minor lies the constellation Monoceros, which is quite extensive but does not contain any bright stars. But Orion is not hunting him.

Let's draw a straight line through Orion's belt in the other direction - to the west and higher. And we will stumble upon a reddish-orange star - bright in the constellation Taurus. Aldebaran - buffalo eye - in Arabic. This is also our closest neighbor - 16 light years separate us - on an interstellar scale, this is a resident from the next apartment, if we accept our Galaxy - the Milky Way - as a huge star city, and think in proportion to this comparison.

Weaker stars, scattered around Aldebaran - along the face of an imaginary celestial bull, form a beautiful star cluster - the Hyades. All of them are significantly further than Alpha Taurus - from the Hyades open cluster, light travels ten times longer - about 150 years.

In the same direction that the stars of Orion's belt told us, but a little further, there is another star cluster - the Pleiades. It is more compact, more elegant and is connected, like almost all the stars in the sky, with some ancient Greek legend. According to this legend, it is not Orion who is pursuing the bull, but wants to take possession of one (or all at once) of the star sisters known as the Pleiades. Each star in the cluster has its own name: Taygeta, Maia, Electra, Merope, Asterope, Pleione, Atlas and - the brightest star in the cluster - its incomparable pearl - Alcyone. Perhaps the heavenly hunter liked her? But be that as it may, the sisters found a safe refuge in the magnificent withers of Taurus.

In the opposite direction from the Pleiades and Aldebaran stretched two long horns of a heavenly bull. A supernova exploded near the lower horn about a thousand years ago. And now in its place remains the ragged “Crab Nebula”, visible only through telescopes. About the same thing will someday appear in the place of the red star Betelgeuse. Who knows, maybe even in our lifetime.

The upper horn of Taurus has merged with the figure of the constellation Auriga - a star named Alnas once belonged to both constellations. But modern astronomy “gave” it to Taurus.

At midnight in mid-December, the constellation Charioteer is near the zenith. The Yellowish Capella - alpha Auriga - at the latitude of Moscow rises to a height of 80 degrees. In more southern latitudes - in the Crimea and the Caucasus - it may be almost exactly at the zenith.

In the last century, the yellow color of Capella created the assumption among astronomers that perhaps this star is a twin of the Sun, but now, when the distance to Capella is known quite accurately (42 light years), and with it its luminosity, which is one and a half hundred times greater than the Sun, It is absolutely clear that this is a star of a different type. But the main thing here is that this is not one star. Capella is a system of at least four stars - two giants and two dwarfs. The giants are located very close to each other and rotate in a cosmic waltz around a common center of mass with a period of three and a half months. Both stars have already managed to grow old - the giants are aging very quickly, rapidly burning the entire supply of hydrogen of which they are composed, and after it, helium. The day will come when they will merge into one star, because at the stage of helium burnout, the shells of such stars expand many times over. A pair of two dwarfs will view this spectacular catastrophe from a safe distance, moving around the massive components in a giant orbit with a radius of one light year.

Between Capella and Procyon there is another important winter constellation - Gemini - led by a pair of stars - Castor and Pollux, named after ancient Greek heroes - two inseparable brothers, after whom the constellation is named.

In the first and second decades of December, this constellation Gemini “gives” the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere of the Earth an abundant shower of stars - the Gemenids. Its radiant - the point in the sky from which meteors seem to fly out, is located within the constellation and very close to the star Castor. On a dark, moonless night, when the stream reaches its maximum activity, you can count about a hundred “shooting stars” per hour. The maximum flow occurs annually on December 13-14. This year the Moon will not interfere with observations. It is noteworthy that the shower was not generated by a comet, as is true for most meteor showers, but by the asteroid Phaeton. It is quite possible that astronomers simply did not consider a deceased comet in this small celestial body, which, due to constant flights near the Sun, quickly exhausted the supply of volatile substances that contribute to the appearance of an extended and beautiful tail. And without a tail, what kind of comet is it?

The winter Milky Way is not very bright - it cannot compare with the summer one. This is because on winter nights our gaze is directed to the peripheral regions of our Galaxy, when, like in the summer, we look directly at its center, where many times more stars are concentrated.

The veil of the spiral arms of our Galaxy, barely noticeable in the city, runs from the constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus, timidly sneaks along the edge of Auriga and only lightly touches Orion. Almost dissolving in the obscure constellation Monoceros, the Milky Way goes into the southern celestial hemisphere, where it disappears under the horizon in the constellation Puppis, inaccessible to us.

In the second half of the night, the constellations of the spring group begin to occupy the culminating position in the December sky.

Cancer, next in the zodiac circle after Gemini, crosses the meridian at about 4 am. This inconspicuous constellation is famous for the beautiful open cluster Manger, which breaks up into hundreds of faint stars when observed through binoculars, and is visible to the eye as a hazy blur. It was once mistaken for a comet.

Under the constellation Cancer, the head of Hydra rises from the horizon with its long neck. Hydra is the largest constellation in the entire sky. But all its charm is precisely in the “head” and the main star of the constellation with the name Alphard, located not far from this asterism. This orange-red giant is 177 light years away from us and is also a multiple star system.

The three most noticeable spring constellations are still just approaching the meridian from the east. Closest to him is Leo with a bright star named Regulus. The blue giant Regulus is the only bright star in the constellation. The remaining stars that make up the recognizable figure have moderate brightness. And I must say, this figure somewhat resembles a real lion. Perhaps that is why the constellation is so famous and recognizable. There are quite a few interesting objects within its boundaries. The most accessible of them are double stars and wide pairs, the duality of which is clearly visible through binoculars, and sometimes even just with the eye. First of all, there is the beautiful double star Algieba (Gamma Leo), located on the neck of the celestial feline. A bright and distant satellite is located from the main star like Alcor in the Mizar-Alcove system of the constellation Ursa Major. With a small telescope, you can see that the main star is a fairly close binary, with the components separated by about 4 arcseconds. Not so long ago it turned out that at least two planets with a mass exceeding Jupiter by 9 and 2 times orbit around the brighter of them.

Through binoculars you can see several more wide pairs - the faint satellite Regulus two minutes of arc from the bright star; a chain of faint stars located within half the lunar disk from the second brightest star of this constellation - Denebola (beta Leo), and around Zeta Leo named Adhafera, closely spaced stars form an entire star cluster - modest in number, but interesting for observation. This cluster is exclusively illusory - the distances to all these stars are completely different.

Following Leo, Virgo rises in the southeast with the bright star Spica. Virgo is a very extended constellation. But there is also only one bright star in it. But for astronomers armed with modern instruments, Virgo truly reveals a treasure trove - millions of distant galaxies are concentrated here, forming a supercluster - it is called the “Virgo supercluster of galaxies”. For amateurs, there are several double stars available for observation, among which Porrima, Virgo Gamma, is of greatest interest. This is both a wide pair and a close double star at the same time. The nearby components are currently separated by a distance of about one and a half seconds of arc - they cannot be seen separately in weak telescopes. Although three decades ago the stars were easily separated. This is a rare case when an astronomy lover, during his lifetime, can personally see the variability of the stellar world and witness significant events. In just a few years, these stars will separate again and become visible separately even for those with relatively small telescopes. Now, to resolve this double star, you will need a telescope with an objective lens diameter of more than 120 millimeters.

Above the eastern horizon and almost parallel to it lies the elongated figure of the constellation Bootes. The only bright star in this constellation, orange Arcturus, is the brightest star in the northern hemisphere.

Above the Bootes, figuratively speaking, standing on its tail, is the Ursa Major Dipper. From early evening until the early morning hours, he made almost half a revolution across the sky. The same can be said about the other constellations. But some of them were rising or setting. And we did not see their entire path - after all, its beginning or end was hidden behind the horizon. The Big Dipper's bucket never hides beyond the horizon in our latitudes.

Three hours before sunrise, dazzling Venus rises above the southeastern horizon - its brightness is many times greater than the brilliance of any of the stars. This luminary is often confused with an airplane landing, or taken for an alien ship. But most often this attitude manifests itself towards Venus during periods of its evening visibility. People most often simply do not notice morning Venus due to the fact that in a half-asleep and not fully awakened state a person is not very inventive.

December 2018 is the best time to observe Venus in the morning. In the following months, the duration of visibility of the planet closest to Earth will decrease noticeably, and in December it reaches about four hours. At this time, the “morning star” is located on the border of the constellations Virgo and Libra. When observed through a telescope, Venus resembles a greatly reduced Moon - like our satellite, Venus also changes phases, sometimes becoming a thin crescent, a semicircle and an almost full disk.

In the second half of December, Jupiter will try to keep Venus company in the morning sky. It has recently passed a conjunction with the Sun, and now the period of its morning visibility begins, the duration of which will be more than an hour by New Year's Eve.

On certain days or nights in December we can expect some interesting astronomical phenomena:

December 3 and 4 in the morning the crescent of the aging Moon will pass by Venus.

December 6 In the morning the Moon will be close to Mercury, but it will be difficult to see both luminaries due to their proximity to the Sun.

December 6 maximum activity of the Andromeda meteor shower - anomalously high activity is expected for this shower.

December 7 Mars will pass just two arcminutes north of the planet Neptune. The new moon will occur on the same day.

9th December In the evening the Moon is near Saturn. At this point, the evening visibility of Saturn can be considered complete.

December 13 and 14 maximum activity of the Geminids meteor shower.

December 14 and 15 Moon near Mars and Neptune.

December 15 Mercury reaches its greatest western distance from the Sun.

December 15 Moon in first quarter phase.

December 16 Comet Wirtanen, with an expected magnitude of about +4m, passes near the Pleiades star cluster.

21 December In the morning the Moon passes through the Hyades star cluster.

21 December Mercury and Jupiter conjunction in the morning. Mercury is 1 degree north.

21 December The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.

December 21/22- the longest night of the year.

December 22 full moon.

December 23 Comet Wirtanen passes within 1 degree of Capella (alpha Aurigae).

December 29th The moon is in the last quarter phase.

Nikolay Zheleznov, Marina Lukashova

The stream welcomes the comet. What can you see in the starry sky in December?

December is the darkest month of the year, a haven for astronomer observers. And with the visibility of the planets, things should also be better than in previous months. So if the December sky is not overcast, then in the first winter month we will be able to see all the planets of the solar system.

At the beginning of December, three planets will rise one after another in the eastern part of the sky - Venus, Mercury and Jupiter. On December 3 - 6, the thin crescent of the waning Moon will be added to this trinity.

On December 2, Venus will reach its greatest brilliance for the second time this year. Mercury is becoming brighter every day. On December 6, it will be stationary and begin to approach the Sun. On December 15, the planet will reach its greatest western elongation and will be located quite high above the horizon - the most convenient moment for observations. December 21 in its movement towards

Mercury will overtake the Sun and pass less than one degree from it. And throughout December, shining Venus and Jupiter, as well as quite bright Mercury, will decorate the morning sky.

All other planets are visible in the evening sky - Saturn in the constellation Sagittarius, Mars and Neptune in the constellation Aquarius, and almost all night you can see Uranus in the constellation Aries.

Saturn, unfortunately, is already close to the Sun, and it will be possible to see it only in the first half of December. On December 8 - 9, the day after the new moon (it will occur on December 7), a thin crescent of the waxing Moon will be located next to the planet. On December 9, residents of the north of the Khabarovsk Territory will even be able to witness how it will cover Saturn.

On December 7, faster Mars will pass just two minutes of arc from Neptune, and telescope owners can see this approach. Only the Moon, which is in its first quarter phase, will be able to interfere with observations of Neptune, which will be close to a pair of planets on December 14-15.

And the most long-awaited event of the month is the winter solstice. This year it will happen on December 22 at 1.23, on the day of the full moon. True, the full moon itself will happen in the evening. However, the advance of night will stop and day will begin to arrive.

December will also bring us one of the most powerful meteor showers of the year - the Geminids meteor shower. Maximum activity is expected on the night of December 13-14, when about a hundred meteors can be counted in an hour. The shower's radiant is located in the constellation Gemini. It is assumed that the “parent body” of the Geminids is the asteroid (3200) Phaethon. This stream “catches up” with the Earth, therefore the speed of meteors entering its atmosphere is low, about 5 km/s. Nevertheless, it is quite enough for a grain of sand flying into the atmosphere to leave a bright trace.

Since the most popular starfalls - the Perseids and Leonids - will be in "sleep mode" in the coming years, the Geminids remain the best opportunity for those who like to make wishes, and for the whole year ahead.

Let's not forget about another December meteor shower - the Ursids. But it is weak, no more than 10 meteors per hour. And the maximum of its activity falls on December 22, right on the full moon. It is unlikely that the bright full Moon will allow us to see at least one meteor flying from the constellation Ursa Minor.

In mid-December, a tailed celestial guest will appear in the St. Petersburg sky - comet 46P/Wirtanen. On December 10, it will cross the celestial equator and end up in the northern hemisphere in the area where three constellations intersect - Cetus, Eridanus and Taurus. On December 13, the same day as the Geminids, its maximum brightness is expected to be 4th magnitude. Which means: under ideal weather conditions, it can be seen with the naked eye - in the southern part of the sky. But it’s better to use a small telescope or binoculars. In December, the comet will pass through the constellations Taurus, Perseus, Auriga and will celebrate the New Year in the constellation Lynx. At the same time, its shine will decrease somewhat.

Good luck with your observations and good mood!

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December is here, and so it's time for our review of the mid-month evening sky. So, at 22:00 on December 15 at a latitude of 56 degrees, looking at the sky, we can see the following picture -

Click on the image to expand to full size.
Of the bright planets at this time, only Mars in the southwest is visible in the evening sky. On December 15, the Moon will be in its first quarter phase just east of it. Among the brightest stars, the following luminaries attract attention. In the northwest, the summer-autumn triangle sets beyond the horizon - Altair has already disappeared behind the horizon, Deneb and Vega are still visible above the horizon. To the left, above, is Deneb, alpha of the constellation Cygnus, and to the right and below is bright Vega, alpha of Lyrae. Deneb's brightness is slightly fainter than first magnitude, and Vega is one of the brightest stars - its brightness is around zero magnitude. In the southeast, the winter constellations have already risen high - bright Sirius, alpha of the constellation Canis Major, is visible on the horizon. This is the brightest star in our sky - its brightness is -1.5 magnitude. Above is an x-shaped stellar figure - the celestial hunter Orion with two bright stars - orange Betelgeuse (alpha) - the upper left corner of the figure (its brightness is between zero and first magnitude) and beta Orion - bluish Rigel - the lower right corner. Rigel's brightness is slightly weaker than magnitude zero. Above Orion is Aldebaran, alpha of the constellation Taurus - its brightness is close to first magnitude. Even higher, closer to the zenith, you can find the bright Capella, alpha of the constellation Auriga. Its brightness is also close to zero. Just below and to the left of the Capella there is a pair of bright stars - the constellation Gemini. These are the alpha and beta of this constellation - Castor and Pollux (second and first magnitudes, respectively). Below Gemini in the east, bright Procyon is visible - alpha Canis Minor. Its brightness is around zero magnitude. And finally, at the very horizon in the northeast, with a perfectly clear horizon, you can see Regulus - the alpha of the constellation Leo. This star is slightly fainter than first magnitude.
Now more about visibility of planets this month:
Mercury- in December it is visible in the mornings before sunrise in the southeast. The planet's brightness varies from 2 to -0.6 magnitude. Mercury moves through the constellations Libra, Scorpio and Ophiuchus;
Venus- visible in the morning before sunrise in the southeast. The planet's brightness varies from -4.9 magnitude to -4.8 magnitude. Venus is a very bright object in the morning sky right now! It moves throughout the month through the constellations Virgo and Libra;
Mars- visible in the first half of the night in the southern, southwestern side of the sky, not very high above the horizon. The planet's brightness will continue to decrease from 0.1 to 0.5 magnitude. Mars moves through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces;
Jupiter- you can try to observe in the second half of the month. It is visible in the mornings before sunrise in the southeast, very low above the horizon. The brightness of Jupiter is 1.7 magnitude. Moves through the constellations Scorpio and Ophiuchus;
Saturn- visible in the evenings just after sunset in the southwest, very low above the horizon. Not visible in the second half of the month. Moves through the constellation Sagittarius. The brightness of Saturn will be about 0.7 magnitude.
Uranus- in December it is visible all night, except for dawn hours, high above the horizon in the constellations of Aries and Pisces. The planet's brightness changes from 5.6 to 5.7 magnitude;
Neptune- visible in the evening hours in the southwestern side of the sky, not very high above the horizon in the constellation Aquarius. The brightness of Neptune is 7.9 magnitude.
To search for Uranus and Neptune, you need at least binoculars (and a telescope for good observations) and a star map. Maps of the path of Uranus and Neptune and infographics on them can be found here -

The second half of December, the shortest day of the year is about to arrive... In mid-latitudes, the duration of darkness reaches 15 hours! How many constellations manage to float by during this time! During the long night we have the opportunity to see constellations of all seasons - from those visible high in the south in summer to those in spring.

How to understand the intricacies of star patterns? Fortunately, in winter there are many bright stars in the sky, and their designs are very expressive and easy to remember. Who doesn’t know the constellation Orion or the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius?..

But let's take it in order: let's look at the picture of the starry sky in the evening, at night and in the morning, as it appears in the second half of December approximately at the latitudes of Moscow and St. Petersburg. And then we will indicate the main attractions of the December sky.

Evening sky in December

Looking at the sky 2 hours after sunset, we see a classic picture of an October night: the autumn constellations of Pegasus, Andromeda and Pisces - the constellations we are talking about - culminate in the south. The main figure is a giant scoop consisting of Pegasus Square and a “handle” formed by the stars of Andromeda. The constellation Pisces is inconspicuous, but in the period from December 19 to 22, the Moon is located in it (in the first quarter phase). Then our satellite moves into the constellation Aries, and on December 25, the almost full Moon will be in the sky next to Jupiter. In the evening this couple can be seen in the east.

Starry sky of the Moscow region on the evening of December 20 (direction south). Drawing: Stellarium

But let's return to the stars. The brightest stars visible after sunset are in the west (these are the Summer Triangle stars Vega, Deneb and Altair) and in the east, where, in addition to the bright Capella and Aldebaran, adjacent to Jupiter, the constellations Orion and Gemini rise.

Directly to the north is the Big Dipper, and above it is the North Star.

The Moon and Jupiter are the main characters in the evening sky in the second half of December, and their approach in the sky on the night of December 25-26 promises to be a beautiful event. Do not miss!

Night sky in December

December 20, midnight... In the west, along with the autumn constellations, the Moon is inclined to the horizon, and in the south and southeast a beautiful picture of winter constellations appears to the eyes. Seven stars brighter than second magnitude are located in a relatively small area of ​​the sky. Yellow is visible almost at the zenith Chapel, underneath is orange Aldebaran, to the left and below it - Betelgeuse And Rigel, the main stars of Orion. Floats even lower, not high above the horizon Sirius, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. Finally, on the left, almost in the southeast, a yellowish Procyon(α Canis Minor) and Pollux from the constellation Gemini.

But it outshines them all with its brilliance Jupiter. At the beginning of December, the planet was in opposition to the Sun, and therefore now its brightness is close to maximum. In the sky, Jupiter is located in the constellation Taurus, near Aldebaran. How inconspicuous this star seems next to him!

The main character in the picture of winter constellations is, of course, the legendary hunter Orion. Its seven brightest stars form a figure that is instantly memorable: three bright bluish-white stars, zeta, epsilon and delta form , above it are the reddish Betelgeuse and the hot star Bellatrix (they mark the shoulders of the hunter), and below it are the bright white star Rigel and the star Saif point to his feet. Under Orion's belt the eye sees a small foggy speck (here a hunter's sword was drawn on ancient maps). This is the famous Orion Nebula, a gigantic cloud of interstellar gas, the cradle of a new generation of stars.

In the sky, Orion is surrounded by several animals. To the right and above the hunter is the constellation Taurus. The bull is furious and appears to be rushing towards Orion; Aldebaran marks the red eye of Taurus. Impressive horns are formed by the stars β and ζ Taurus, but they are not scary for the hunter: Orion swung his club at the bull. The body of Taurus is marked with a small Pleiades bucket. The planet Jupiter is a temporary guest in this constellation; it involuntarily distorts its pattern.

Below Orion's feet is the small constellation Hare, and to the left of it, low above the horizon, is the constellation Canis Major. The main star of this particular constellation is the brightest in the entire night sky of the Earth. We are talking, of course, about Sirius. Orion's other faithful dog, Canis Minor, is marked by the bright Procyon. Between Sirius and Procyon lies the fabulous Unicorn, a vast but completely inconspicuous constellation.

Orion constellation and frozen leaf. In this photo, the winter constellations are setting. The constellation Orion occupies the central position. Bright Sirius is visible to the left, and to the right is the constellation Taurus, along with the star Aldebaran and the Pleiades cluster. © Masahiro Miyasaka

Among other constellations, we note Gemini, in which the leading role is played by the stars Castor and Pollux, as well as Auriga with the bright Capella. All the constellations we have listed (with the exception of the Unicorn) are very ancient, their age is estimated at several thousand years.

Note that the Milky Way passes through the constellations Auriga, Gemini, Taurus, Orion, Unicorn and Canis Major. However, here it is not nearly as bright as in the constellations Cygnus or Sagittarius. The reason is that in winter we look in the direction opposite to the center of the Galaxy, at its outskirts, where the concentration of stars falls. In order to catch its faint glow, you will have to find a dark sky.

Winter sky over the Colorado mountains. High in the sky, slightly to the left of the center of the photo, the Capella is visible, almost symmetrically to the right is the Pleiades dipper. The orange Aldebaran is visible below it, next to which Jupiter is now located. (This photo was taken a couple of years ago, so there is no planet in it.) The constellation Orion rises below Aldebaran. Here it is tilted, since the image was taken at southern latitudes. In addition to the yellow-orange Betelgeuse and blue Rigel, the Belt stars and the reddish glow of the Orion Nebula are clearly visible. Sirius, the brightest object in the photo, rises even lower above the mountains. Procyon is visible to its left, and even further to the left and higher (at the same height as Betelgeuse) are Castor and Pollux. Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon and Pollux form the Winter Hexagon. The faint glow of the Milky Way bisects the photo. Photo: Jimmy Westlake/APOD

Now let's look east. After the bright view of the southern part of the sky, the eastern sky looks frankly empty. The constellations Lynx, Cancer and Leo Minor can hardly be distinguished in the city sky. The only noticeable constellation, although only rising above the horizon, is the zodiac constellation Leo, shaped like a huge trapezoid. In the northeast, the Big Dipper tilts upward; it is located at an altitude of 30° above the horizon.

The northern sky looks more interesting thanks to Vega and Deneb, two of the brightest stars of the summer sky, now floating low in the northwest. At the latitude of Moscow and St. Petersburg, these stars never go beyond the horizon. As always, the North Star is located strictly in the north. Its height in the sky depends on the latitude of the observation site. For example, in Moscow, the North Star is at an altitude of 56° above the horizon, and in St. Petersburg it is already at an altitude of 60°. Actually, it is by the height of the North Star that it is easiest to determine the latitude of the area.

After December 22, the picture of the night sky will be complemented by the bright Moon. Weak stars will drown in its silver light, but for a beginner in such conditions it is even easier, since the absence of unnecessary details helps to quickly understand the basic patterns of the constellations.

Predawn sky in December

The picture of the morning sky changes dramatically compared to the midnight sky. In 8 hours, the celestial sphere makes a third of a revolution, and the stars that shone at midnight in the south have either already gone beyond the horizon in the morning or are visible far in the northwest. Among such constellations, visible “to the last,” are the constellations Auriga, Gemini and Canis Minor.

The southern part of the sky was occupied by dim spring constellations. A more or less distinct pattern can be traced only in the constellations Leo, Virgo and Bootes. As we have already said, the Leo figure is based on a trapezoid of four stars. The main stars of Virgo form an irregular quadrangle, with the constellation's brightest star, Spica, in its lower left corner. Finally, the constellation Bootes vaguely resembles a parachute. The orange Arcturus, the brightest star in the northern hemisphere of the sky, acts as a parachutist.

The morning sky in the second half of December culminates with the spring constellations Virgo, the Raven and the Chalice. The featureless constellations are diversified by the planet Saturn, which is located next to the star Spica. Drawing: Stellarium

In the east, the summer constellations Hercules, Corona Borealis, Ophiuchus, Lyra and Cygnus rise in the morning. Here the main stars are already familiar to us: Vega and Deneb. Directly to the north is the constellation Cassiopeia, similar to the Latin letter W. The Big Dipper, which was visible in the north at midnight, is at its zenith before dawn.

What to watch in the sky in December 2012: stars, planets, clusters and nebulae

What else, besides drawings of constellations, should an amateur starting to get acquainted with the starry sky pay attention to? Of course, on interesting stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

The starry sky of December is rich in interesting objects. Some of them can be seen even with the naked eye, but if you have binoculars, the list of attractions expands significantly. Below we will briefly list only those that can be seen on December evenings with minimal optical equipment. To find nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters, use a good star atlas or planetarium program (such as the free Stellarium program).

Objects for observation with the naked eye

• Algol- perhaps the most famous variable star. Located in the constellation Perseus, it belongs to the class of eclipsing variable stars. The gloss varies from 2.1 m to 3.4 m. An easy object to observe with the naked eye.
• Aldebaran- the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Located next to Jupiter. In the early evening it rises in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Has a distinct reddish tint.
• Altair- the brightest star in the constellation Aquila (magnitude 0.76 m). After sunset it is visible in the west at an altitude of about 30° above the horizon. Part of the summer triangle.
• Betelgeuse- α Orionis, red supergiant. One of the largest stars known to scientists, its diameter is 1000 times the diameter of the Sun. Wrong variable - the brightness varies within almost 1 m. The distance is approximately 500 sv. years.
• Great Orion Nebula (M42)- a bright and beautiful nebula, visible even to the naked eye. The telescope will give you an amazing view. Distance about 1500 sv. years.

The famous Orion Nebula. The picture was taken by the Hubble telescope. Photo: NASA/ESA/M. Robberto (STScI/ESA) et al./APOD

• - the brightest star in the Lyra constellation (magnitude 0.03 m). In the evenings it is visible in the west at an altitude of about 40° above the horizon. Part of the Great Summer Triangle.
• Hyades- a large open cluster in the constellation Taurus. The star Aldebaran surrounds the sky. Its shape resembles the Latin letter V. The distance is about 150 light years from Earth.
• - the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus (magnitude 1.25 m). Visible in the evenings in the west at an altitude of over 60° above the horizon, at night - in the northwest at an altitude of about 20°. Part of the Great Summer Triangle
• Chapel- a bright yellow star, α Aurigae. Gloss 0.08 m. In the evenings it is located in the east at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon, at night - almost at the zenith in the south, in the morning - in the western part of the sky at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Distance 42 St. of the year.
• Castor- α Gemini, the second brightest in the constellation after Pollux. Consists of 6(!) stars connected to each other by gravitational forces. Three stars are visible through the telescope. Distance 52 St. of the year.
• Pleiades- open cluster in the constellation Taurus. Also known under the names Seven Sisters, Stozhary, Volosozhary. It rises after sunset in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of over 50° above the horizon, in the morning - low above the west. To the naked eye it looks like a small scoop; binoculars show dozens of stars. The distance to Earth is about 400 sv. years.
• Pollux- β Gemini and the brightest star of the constellation. Together with Castor, this star symbolizes the mythical twins born from the almighty Zeus and the beautiful Leda. Orange star. Distance 34 St. of the year.
• polar Star- a star marking the North Pole of the celestial sphere (magnitude 2.0 m). Visible at any time of the year and day from anywhere in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. The height above the horizon is determined by the latitude of the observation location and practically does not change during the day. A perpendicular from the North Star to the horizon points to the Earth's North Pole.
• Orion's Belt. Formed by three hot white stars - ζ, ε and δ Orionis.
• Rigel- a blue supergiant and the brightest star in the constellation Orion. Distance about 850 sv. years. Luminosity - 120,000 luminosities of the Sun.
• Sirius- the brightest star in the night sky. Rise around 10 pm in the southeast. In the south it is visible around 2 am. Due to its low position above the horizon, it often shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.
• Sheat- or β Pegasus, an irregular variable, the magnitude varies from 2.1 m to 3.0 m. Red giant of spectral class M2.
• Jupiter- the largest planet in the solar system. In the evening it is visible in the east, at night - high in the sky in the south, in the morning - in the west. A very bright, non-flickering yellow object. The 4 largest satellites are visible through binoculars, and through a telescope with an aperture of 60 mm, the cloud belts on the planet’s disk are visible.
• β Lira- an eclipsing variable star, the lower right star in the parallelogram of the constellation Lyra. Changes brightness from 3.3 m to 4.3 m with a period of 12.94 days. An optical satellite is visible through binoculars - a bluish star 7.2 m.
• δ Cephei- prototype of Cepheid variable stars. The brightness varies from 3.6 m to 4.5 m with a period of 5.366 days. Visible in the evening high in the sky in the west, at night - at an altitude of 40° above the northwestern horizon.
• ε Auriga- one of the most amazing stars in the sky. Double; The satellite is surrounded by a massive disk of dust that eclipses the bright component every 27 years.
• ζ Gemini- one of the most famous variable stars. Cepheid. Changes gloss within 3.8-4.4 m with a period of 10 days.
• ζ Auriga- eclipsing variable star, period 2.66 years. Consists of a bright orange giant and a hot blue-white star. Distance about 800 sv. years
• η Gemini or Pass. Found in Castor's leg. Semiregular and eclipsing variable. Changes gloss within 3.1-3.6 m.
• η Cassiopeia- a beautiful double star, visible at its zenith in the evenings. Consists of two stars similar to the Sun. Distance 19 St. years. The distance between components is 12″.

Objects to observe with binoculars and a small telescope

• 51 Pegasus- a 5.5 m star, visible near the right edge of Pegasus Square. 51 Pegasus is a yellow star similar to the Sun; the first normal star for which astronomers found a planet (in 1995). Distance - 50 sv. years.
• 61 Swans- a beautiful double star 8° from Deneb. Consists of two orange stars 5.2 m and 6.0 m. The first star for which the distance was reliably measured (11.4 light years - in 1838).
• h&χ Perseus- double cluster in the constellation Perseus. The naked eye can see an elongated nebulous speck halfway between the star Mirfak (α Perseus) and the constellation Cassiopeia. Visible throughout the night high above the horizon. An excellent object for binoculars and small telescopes.
• Collinder 69- open cluster Lambda Orionis. Located in the head of the hunter between the stars Betelgeuse and Bellatrix
• R Lyres- semi-regular variable. Brightness changes from 4.0 m to 5.0 m with a period of 46 days. Located near Vega, visible after sunset high in the sky in the west, at night it is in the northwest low above the horizon.
• Albireo- a beautiful double star, one of whose components is orange and the other is bluish-green. Can be separated even by small binoculars. Albireo represents the head of the Swan or the base of the Northern Cross, at the opposite end of which is Deneb. Visible in the evening in the west at an altitude of about 40° above the horizon, it sets below the horizon around midnight.

Open cluster M35 in the constellation Gemini. Next to it is the more distant and fainter cluster NGC 2158. Photo: New Forest Observatory

• M27- planetary nebula “Dumbbell” in the constellation Chanterelle (see photo above). One of the brightest planetary nebulae in the sky. Clearly visible even with small binoculars above the constellation Sagittarius. In December it is visible in the evenings in the west. The distance is about 1000 sv. years.
• M2- a globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius. Visible in the evenings in the south and southwest. Through binoculars it appears as a foggy spherical spot with blurred edges.
• M15- a bright globular cluster in the constellation Pegasus (magnitude 6.4 m). In the evening it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon, at night half as low in the west. The landmark is the star Epsilon Pegasus.
• M31- Andromeda's nebula. The famous spiral galaxy, the most distant object visible to the naked eye. The distance is about 2.5 million light years.
• M33- spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. Requires good atmospheric conditions, binoculars with an aperture of over 50 mm and the absence of urban illumination.
• M35- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Gemini. It is located at the foot of Castor, not far from the star Propus (eta Gemini). Distance 2800 St. years.
• M36- open cluster in the constellation Auriga. It is located near the clusters M37 and M38, almost halfway between the stars β Tauri and Capella. Distance - 4100 sv. years.
• M37- a very beautiful open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Located in the middle of the Milky Way. Discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier. Distance - 4400 sv. years.
• M38- another open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Distance - 4300 sv. years.
• M39- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. Located near Deneb. Contains about 30 stars. Under good conditions it can be seen with the naked eye.
• M92- another globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. Gloss 6.5 m. Located almost 9° above M13, it is possible to observe the cluster throughout the night very low above the horizon in the northern part of the sky.
• Melotte 20- open cluster α Persei. A beautiful object to observe with binoculars. Surrounds the bright star Mirfak. Distance about 600 sv. years.
• Mira Kita- a remarkable long-period variable, changing brightness in a huge range - from 2.0 m to 10.1 m with a period of 331 days. In the evenings it is visible in the southeast and south.
• Nursery- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Cancer. Visible to the naked eye as a nebulous star, but through binoculars it disintegrates into dozens of stars. Rise after 9 pm in the east.
• ε Lyrae- a wide pair of white stars near Vega. The distance between the stars is 3′.5. People with exceptionally keen vision separate the pair with the naked eye. Telescopes show that each of the two stars is also a double star.
• μ Cephei- Garnet star. An irregular variable, one of the reddest stars. Magnitude changes from 3.4 m to 5.1 m with overlapping cycles of 90, 730 and 4500 days.

Date: 11/29/2018

The most important astronomical event in December is winter solstice that will happen December 22, 2018 at 01:23 Moscow time! After the longest night of the year, real astronomical winter comes, and with it, each subsequent day will give us a little more light. By the New Year, the length of daylight will increase by almost 8 minutes!

The December sky, provided the weather is clear, will delight with bright winter constellations and two star showers: December 14 is the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, up to 120 meteors per hour are expected, and on December 22, the longest night of the year, the Ursids star shower is expected, from the constellation Ursa Minor , with observations of up to 10 meteors per hour.

December 1 – 226 years since the birth (12/01/1792) of the Russian mathematician Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky
December 1 - 57 years ago (12/01/1961) the Sputnik-6 spacecraft was launched (dogs Pchelka and Mushka)
December 2 – end of evening visibility of Saturn
December 3 – Moon passes 7° north Speaks (12:00)
December 3 - 114 years ago, December 3, 1904, American astronomer C. D. Perrine (1867-1951) at the Lick Observatory discovered a new moon of Jupiter, sixth in the order of discovery, later named Gamaliya in honor of the nymph of Rhodes. The diameter of the satellite is 170 km
December 4 - 45 years ago, on December 4, 1973, the American automatic interplanetary station Pioneer 10 passed close to Jupiter, transmitted high-quality color images of the planet and its satellites to Earth, and explored the atmosphere and magnetosphere of the planet
December 4 – the aging Moon passes 3° north of Venus (00:00)
December 5 – The Moon passes near Mercury
December 6 – The Moon passes near Jupiter
December 6 – Mercury in station with the transition from retrograde motion to direct (23:50)
December 7 – the beginning of the morning visibility of Mercury
December 7 – Beginning of activity of the Geminids meteor shower
December 7 – new moon (10:22)
December 7 – Mars passes two arc minutes (!) north of Neptune
December 7 – 113 years (12/07/1905) since the birth of Gerard Kuiper
December 9 – daytime occultation of Saturn by the Moon, visible in Siberia and the Far East (08:00)
December 11 - 46 years ago, on December 11, 1972, the crew of Apollo 17 became the last people to set foot on the lunar surface. While Ronald Evans was orbiting the Moon, the first space scientist, geologist Harrison Schmit and Eugene Cernan, collected a record 110 kg of lunar rock during three missions that lasted 7.2, 7.6 and 7.3 hours.
December 12 – Moon at apogee, distance from Earth 405,176 km (15:27)
December 13 - Comet 46P/Wirtanen passes perihelion at a distance of 1.05 AU. e. from the Sun
December 14 – maximum action of the Geminids meteor shower (ZHR= 120) from the constellation Gemini (15:00)
December 14 – The Moon passes 3° south of Neptune (20:00).
December 14 – 472 years (12/14/1546) since the birth of the Danish astronomer and Renaissance alchemist Tycho Brahe
December 15 – The Moon passes 3° south of Mars (05:00).
December 15 – Moon in first quarter phase (14:50)
December 15 - Mercury reaches maximum morning (western) elongation of 21.5°
December 15 - 52 years ago (12/15/1966) French astronomer Audouin Dollfus discovered Saturn's satellite Janus, which changes orbit with another satellite, Epimetheus, every four years
December 16 - comet 46P/Wirtanen, expected brightness of about +4m (stellar magnitude) passes approximately 4° from the beautiful open star cluster Pleiades (M 45)
December 16 - Comet 46P/Wirtanen passes 11.5 million km from Earth
December 17 – the end of the Geminids meteor shower
December 17 - 115 years ago, December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made their first airplane flight.
December 17 – the beginning of the Ursids meteor shower
December 18 – the beginning of the morning visibility of Jupiter
December 18 – The Moon passes 5° south of Uranus (10:00).
December 18 – 162 years (12/18/1856) since the birth of the English physicist who discovered the electron, Nobel laureate Joseph John Thomson
December 21 – Moon in the Hyades (08:00)
December 21 – The Moon passes 2° north of Aldebaran (11:00)
December 21 – Mercury passes 1° north of Jupiter (21:00)
December 22 – winter solstice (01:23)
December 22 – full moon (20:50)
December 22 – maximum action of the Ursid meteor shower (ZHR = 10) from the constellation Ursa Minor
December 23 – Jupiter passes 5° north of Antares
December 23 - Comet 46P/Wirtanen passes within approximately 1° of the bright star Capella (Alpha Auriga)
December 23 – end of morning visibility of Mercury
December 24 – The Moon passes 7° south of Pollux (09:00)
December 24 – Moon at perigee, distance from Earth 361059 km (12:53)
December 24 - 50 years ago, December 24, 1968, earthlings flew around the Moon for the first time - the Apollo 8 mission, for the first time they saw with their own eyes the far side of the Moon and the Earth rising above the lunar horizon. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on December 24 and remained there for 20 hours, 10 minutes and 13 seconds, making 10 orbits around the Moon.
December 25 – 40 years ago, December 25, 1978, the Venera 12 spacecraft made a soft landing on the surface of Venus
December 25 – 113 years (12/25/1904) since the birth of the Soviet astronomer Georgy Nikolaevich Duboshin
December 26 – the end of the Ursids meteor shower
December 26 – The Moon passes 2° north of Regulus (21:00)
December 26 – Venus at perihelion
December 27 - 447 years (12/27/1571) since the birth of the German mathematician, astronomer, mechanics, optics, discoverer of the laws of motion of the planets of the solar system Johannes Kepler
December 28 – Beginning of activity of the Quadrantids meteor shower
December 29 – Moon in last quarter phase (12:37)
December 30 – The Moon passes 7° north of Spica (18:00)
December 31 is 154 years (December 31, 1864) since the birth of the American astronomer Robert Grant Aitken. Aitken discovered more than 3,000 double stars

Starry sky of December

The month of the longest nights usually does not spoil us with clear weather. But it is in December that you can observe another giant meteor shower - the famous Geminids, which surpass all other annual meteor showers in the number of “shooting stars”, including the August Perseids...

Leo and Hydra are rising... A bright group of winter constellations, Auriga, Taurus, Gemini, Orion, Monoceros, Canis Minor and Canis Major, are approaching their climax from the southeast. It was in this part of the sky that nature collected almost half of the brightest stars in the sky! Including the brightest star visible from Earth after the Sun - radiant Sirius (α Canis Majoris; -1.46 magnitude). What gives these constellations a special charm is the Milky Way, which passes through them and stretches further, through the zenith (Perseus and Cassiopeia) to the northwestern part of the horizon (Cepheus and Cygnus)...

High in the northwest are Cassiopeia and Cepheus, and in the north above the horizon are Cygnus and Lyra.

In the southern region of the sky there is the constellation Orion, above it (slightly to the right, to the west) is Taurus and even higher is Auriga, to the west of which the constellation Perseus is visible. Whale, Pisces and Pegasus leaned closer to the west. Even further, in the northwest, the departing Swan, Lyra and Hercules are visible...

In the southeast, to the left of Taurus, is the constellation Gemini (it is from here that we expect the annual Geminids meteor shower in mid-December). Below Taurus is the constellation Canis Minor and not high above the horizon is the constellation Canis Major. In the east The constellation Leo has already risen, above which in the northeastern region are the constellations Ursa Major and Canes Venatici.

December starfalls: Geminids and Ursids. Geminids are the most powerful meteor shower of the year. Meteors, often white and bright, can fall very frequently - up to 120 meteors per hour on the night of maximum activity, which is expected on December 14. The Geminid radiant is located near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini.

The longest night of the year, December 22, marks the peak of the Ursids meteor shower, which can only be observed in the Northern Hemisphere. Up to 10 meteors per hour are expected. The radiant is located in the constellation Ursa Minor.

Sun

The sun moves through the constellation Ophiuchus until December 18, and then moves into the constellation Sagittarius. The declination of the central luminary by December 22, 2018 at 01:23 Moscow time reaches a minimum (23.5 degrees south of the celestial equator) this is the moment of the winter solstice, therefore the length of the day in the northern hemisphere of the Earth is minimal, and the length of the night is maximum.

At the beginning of December it is 7 hours 23 minutes, on December 22 it is 6 hours 56 minutes, and by the end of the described period it increases to 7 hours 02 minutes.