Finally, we come to the end of 2022 by entering December. Various celestial phenomena are ready to appear to entertain astronomy lovers.
The following is the December 2022 sky phenomenon based on the astronomical calendar quoted from Pop Science. Save the dates:
December 7 - Full Moon Cold Moon
The last full moon of the year will reach its peak illumination on December 7. Old Farmer's Almanac recommends viewing it just before sunset when the Moon begins to peek over the horizon.
The December full moon will also be over the horizon longer than most full moons, due to its higher trajectory in the sky.
In the western world, December's full moon is called the Full Cold Moon because its appearance coincides with the chilly winter of the Northern Hemisphere. Some other names for the December full moon are Snow Moon, Long Night Moon, and Winter Maker Moon.
December 7 - Mars in Opposition
On the same night as the last full moon in 2022, Mars will be at its brightest. According to NASA, Mars and the Sun are directly on opposite sides of Earth during the opposition period.
From Earth, Mars rises in the east just as the Sun sets in the west, and after staying up in the sky all night, Mars sets in the west just as the Sun rises in the east.
Astronomers say Mars is in "opposition" because the Red Planet and the Sun appear on opposite sides of the sky. If Earth and Mars followed perfectly circular orbits instead of the more oval-shaped elliptical orbits, the opposition would be as close as possible to the two planets.
For the best moment to see Mars in all its glory, facing east about an hour after dark is recommended.
Mars will look like a reddish-orange star that will rise and appear more southerly as the night deepens. By midnight, the planet will be high in the south. In 2018, Mars is the brightest in 15 years.
December 13 and 14 - Peak of the Geminid Meteor Shower
If you prefer shooting stars, don't miss the Geminid meteor shower phenomenon. This is one of the most anticipated meteor showers every year.
Skygoers can see up to 120 meteors per hour at the summit when watching from a dark location, with an average of 75 space rocks appearing per hour. This show usually starts at 9 pm local time and reaches its peak around 2 am.
In the evening of December 13th, the Moon will light up the sky starting late at night, but the Moon will rise slightly later on December 14th.
December 21 - Winter Solstice (Northern Hemisphere)
Winter will officially begin on December 21, marked by the December solstice and the shortest day of the year because it is the day with the least amount of sunlight.
After the winter solstice, the days will slowly grow longer as Earth inches toward the summer solstice in June.
Because the Earth is tilted on its axis, at the solstice, half of the planet will be facing away from the Sun and the other half towards the Sun. The solstice technically lasts only a moment, namely when the Earth's hemisphere, in this case, the northern hemisphere, is tilted as far from the Sun as possible.
In some cultures, the winter solstice is still celebrated with festivals and feasts as a symbol of the victory of light over darkness.
December 21 and 22 - Peak of the Ursid Meteor Shower
If you missed the Geminid meteor shower early in the month or couldn't observe it because the moonlight was too distracting, there's still the Ursid meteor shower which is expected to peak on December 21 and early in the morning on December 22. Ursids can produce five to 10 meteors per hour, with dark skies and little or no moonlight.
December 21 and 24 - Mercury at Its Greatest Elongation and Dichotomy
This phenomenon will be the fourth appearance of the planet Mercury this year. Its greatest elongation occurs when the planet appears farthest from the Sun.
Stargazers can even start looking for Mercury in the night sky from the second week of December. Mercury, the smallest planet in our Solar System, is best seen at sunset as soon as the sky begins to darken.
Mercury will reach its greatest elongation on December 21 and will be 5 degrees from Venus that night. On December 24, Mercury will reach its dichotomy, or intermediate half-phase, at about the same time as it appears farthest from the Sun.
The exact timing of the two events may differ by several days, because Mercury's orbit is not perfectly aligned with the ecliptic.
To be able to observe meteor showers, full moons, to Mercury, the rules are the same: find a dark place as far as possible from city lights and light pollution, then let your eyes adjust to the darkness for about half an hour. Enjoy watching the night sky!