Meteor shower and summer solstice: What December will bring in the sky to say goodbye to 2022

In addition to the many festivities in the month ahead, December will also see real celebrations in the sky, with showers of meteorssolstice, change of season, full moon, Mars On the big screen, stretching from Mercury and much more. Beginning of summer here and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the last month of the year, we will have the most diverse displays of stars, planets and other objects on display in the sky, preparing us for the arrival of 2023.

Geminid meteor showers were recorded in the Northern Hemisphere in 2017

-What is a meteorite and how does this phenomenon occur

The first sidereal attraction of the month will occur at dawn December 7-8, around 1 a.m., when The full moon of the month, also known as the “cold moon”will reach its climax – the name refers specifically to the onset of winter in the northern part of the planet.

On the same day 8, planet Mars It will reach the opposition between the sun and the earth And with it, a greater view of the Earth’s sky: according to NASAMars will be visible all night in the northern direction, at a distance of 62 million km, and its entire face is exposed and illuminated by the sun.

On December 8th, Mars is in opposition between the Sun and Earth

A picture of a comet never to be seen again wins a photo contest

However, the main celestial offerings in December will be meteor showers🇧🇷 will be the first Geminithe strongest of the year, which will take place between the 13th and 14th of the month, with a unique characteristic: it is the only shower composed of meteors derived not from a comet, but from a comet. Asteroid 3200 Phaethon, resulting in about 120 meteors per hour. Although they are best observed during the night, their first signs will appear around 9:30 pm.

Second rain December will take place at dawn from 21 to 22, but ursids It arrives shyly, with only 5 to 10 rocks per hour, coming from comet 8P/Tuttle. However, this will only be visible in the northern hemisphere. After the longest day of the year, A.J New Supermon It will reach the sky on the 23rd, with the satellite so close to Earth — if the moon itself isn’t visible, it will ensure a particularly “dark” sky for other stars to shine through.

“Cool Moon” in December last year

– What are meteors and how do they form?

Shortly before the second rain, at 00:48 on December 21, it was coup from dec Winter begins in the northern part of the planet, where the days are getting shorter and the nights are longer, and summer is here, in the Southern Hemisphere, where the days are getting longer. On the same day, 21, extend from Mercury It represents the largest angle of the first planet in our system relative to the Sun, which is 20.1 degrees, and it will reach its highest point in the west during sunset.

Jupiter and Saturn in close conjunction with the Ursid meteor, imaged in 2020