December is an exciting month for those who like to look up, with a comet, a meteor shower, and a conjunction between the moon and Jupiter all featuring over the coming weeks.
Comet 3I/ATLAS
First up, for those with a telescope with an aperture of at least 30 centimeters, this month offers a chance to view Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third object in history from outside of our own solar system to be spotted within our solar system, and one that’s been in the news quite a bit recently.
During its closest approach to Earth on December 19, look east to northeast in the early pre-dawn morning and you should be able to spot the comet directly beneath Regulus, a star at the heart of the constellation Leo, the lion.
If you have an observatory in your area, check to see if it’s holding any skywatching events to view the comet later this month.
NASA notes that Comet 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth. “On its closest approach to our planet on December 19, it will still be about 170 million miles away, or more than 700 times the distance between the Earth and the moon,” the space agency said on its website.
Geminid meteor shower
This year, the Geminid meteor shower peaks on the evenings of December 13 and 14.
NASA notes that this particular meteor shower, which is made up of debris trailing the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, is known for being “bright and colorful,” so it’s definitely one to watch.
To do so, look to the eastern sky anytime throughout the evenings of December 13 and 14. The meteors will appear near the bright planet Jupiter, which is easy to spot with the naked eye. With the darkest possible skies, and away from bright city lights, you may be lucky enough to witness as many as 120 Geminid meteors every hour.
The moon and Jupiter
The moon will appear close to Jupiter on the evening of December 7, a striking scene that you can easily enjoy with the naked eye.
“During a conjunction, objects in the sky — like planets and moons — appear close together even though they’re actually far apart,” NASA explained. “For example, while the moon and Jupiter will buddy up this month from our view, in space, they’re actually hundreds of millions of miles apart.”