Stellar Night Events In Winter 

The night skies of this chilly winter month provide the mysterious marvels of the perplexing planets, captivating constellations, and strange stars that adorn the heavens. The magnificent planet Mercury could be mused upon minutely in the southeastern sky at dawn before daybreak from the middle of the month. It would be marching through the northern section of the charming constellation Scorpius (scorpion), which handsomely houses scintillating 550 light-years distant star Antares (Jestha), and the southern segment of the obsessing constellation Ophiuchus (serpent bearer). On 25 December, elusive planet Mercury would reach its greatest western elongation from the Sun. It would bestow optimum opportunity for parsing Mercury since it would be upmost in the morning sky. 

Otherwise, it would be whiling away low in the eastern sky just before sunrise. The ruddy planet Mars could be marked meticulously in the eastern sky late after sundown. It would be aloft in the southern sky after midnight. It would then vanish at dawning above the western horizon. It would be moving among the dim stars dwelling in cute constellation Cancer (crab). Planet Venus would be visible succinctly in the southwestern sky after sunset. It would sink towards the horizon thereafter. It would be venturing through the triangle-mimicking constellation Capricornus (sea goat). The mammoth gaseous planet Jupiter could be cherished in the eastern sky after nightfall. It would be ascending in the southern sky till the wee hours of the night. It would be lost above the western horizon during twilight before the day would kick off. It would be located in constellation Taurus (bull). The alluring star Aldebaran (Rohini) could be relished below Jupiter. 

On 07 December, Jupiter would be at opposition to the Sun and make its closest approach to Earth. It would be totally illuminated by the sun and become brighter than any other time of the year and would be watchable throughout the night. Through binoculars, its four largest moons would unfold, evidently as dazzling dots on either side of the planet. The ringed planet Saturn could be savoured in the southern sky from dusk till almost midnight for a few hours. It could be spotted among the stars that sketch the eastern sector of the sprawling constellation Aquarius (water bearer). Planet Uranus could be perceived in the eastern sky as it darkens. It would be climbing the southern sky. It would then descend towards the western horizon after midnight. It could be peered at in the western realm of constellation Taurus; Behemoth star Botein (questionably 170 light-years away) belonging to constellation Aries (ram) would be gleaming above greenish-hued planet Uranus. Far-flung planet Neptune could be noticed nonchalantly after dark in the southern sky. It could be seen in the southern sky later at night. It would be sliding slowly towards the western horizon and be un-evinced. It could be ardently admired below the eye-catching circlet-asterism of confounding constellation Pisces (fishes).  

The new moon would befall on 01 and on 30 December (defined eponymously as the rare black moon), while the full moon would mesmerise moon-lovers on 15 December. This full moon has been popularly recognised as the cold moon because during this time of year the winter air would settle in and the nights would become long and inky. The December solstice would transpire on 21 December, as the South Pole of the earth would be tilted toward the Sun, which will have rendered at its southernmost position in the sky and would be directly over the universally agreed imaginary line drawing the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees' south latitude. 

It would herald the first shortest day but longest night of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first longest day but shortest night of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere. We sadly bid adieu to 2024 on 31 December. The Geminid meteor shower would be displaying dramatically up to 120 multicoloured meteors per hour during its peak this year from the late night of 13 December in the eastern sky till the morning of 14 December. Geminids gorgeously originate from debris left behind by an arcane asteroid dubbed 3200 Phaethon (with a diameter of circa six kilometres and an orbital period of approximately 524 days), which has been acclaimed to be its progenitor. 3200 Phaethon was disclosed on images taken by IRAS (Infrared Astronomical Satellite) in 1983 by British astronomers Simon Green and John Davies. 

Developed by JAXA, the Japanese spacecraft DESTINY+ (Demonstration and Experiment of Space Technology for Interplanetary Voyage with Phaethon Flyby and Dust Science) is expected to be launched ambitiously in 2028 to visit the asteroid. Geminids would run from 07 to 17 December. The lambent waxing gibbous moon, 95 per cent effulgent, would flare up the sky during the comprehending Geminids. It could block out all but the most fulgent meteors. Patient onlookers could still enjoy a few good coruscating shooting stars from dark venues far from light pollution after midnight around 02 AM local time as the radiant point would hover highest. They appear to emanate from near the comely star Castor (Kasturi). It would be a conspicuous chance alignment, as Castor would lie sparingly 52 light-years away, while these meteors would disintegrate in the upper atmosphere utterly 100 kilometres above earth’s surface. 

Castor is near the glimmering golden star Pollux (Punarbasu). Castor would indicate a quaint and quirky system of six gravitationally bound stars. Pollux would be stingily 34 light-years away. Extraordinary Eskimo nebula delightfully depicting a parka-hooded person’s countenance would bejewel Gemini. It would be a whopping 6,500 light-years away. The moderate Ursid meteor shower would be proudly exhibiting scant 5-10 meteors per hour during its utmost count on the night of the 21st till the sunup of the 22nd of December. 

Their visibility would be slightly hindered as the last quarter moon, 54 per cent luminous on 23 December, could interfere and may be problematic during their conning. The Ursids are caused by the particles of ice and dust left behind by comet 8P/Tuttle, which has been reckoned as a mystifying medium-size comet nominally 4.5 kilometres in diameter. 

Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which the meteors allegedly emerge. The comet 8P/Tuttle was witnessed in the inner Solar System in 2021 and would return next time in 2035. 8P/Tuttle is a periodic comet with a 13.6-year elliptical trajectory. American astronomer and American Civil War veteran Horace Parnell Tuttle had confirmed that the comet 8P/Tuttle was responsible for Ursids in 1790. It carries his appellation now. The shower would commence annually from 17 and could conclude around 25 December (Christmas celebration day). 

The waning gibbous moon could wash out murky meteors. Unrelenting meteor fans could appreciate the shimmering show of the shiny shooting stars. Best viewing could be experienced just after midnight from tenebrous precincts far away from city lights during predawn hours. The Ursids are designated by their radiant in the circumpolar constellation Ursa Minor (lesser bear), which contains the Little Dipper asterism with the celestial North Pole. The pole star Polaris (Dhruba Tara) is a prominent part of the Little Dipper as a complex Cepheid variable of triple star interlacement, which would be bizarrely 433 light-years away. The ambling Ursid meteors seemingly spring out from the sky, kens-pickled by the star Kochab. From the Northern Hemisphere around the time of the solstice, Kochab is elevated easefully in the northeast at basically 01 AM. It would be merely 130 light-years away. 

Amazing asteroid 15 Eunomia could be applauded in the puzzling pentagon-resembling charismatic constellation Auriga (charioteer), soaring in the northern expanse of constellation Taurus. It would be picked out easily in the northeastern sky after night began. It would glide to maximum emplacement in the northern sky at midnight and be evanescent in the northwestern sky before day-start. 

During its opposition to Sun Eunomia on 15 December, it would be at immediate tryst to earth (perigee). Faint Eunomia could be discerned joyfully through optical aid. The elegantly enormous stony asteroid Eunomia, with a diameter of about 270 kilometres, was delved into by famed Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis in 1851. Its moniker is a personification of order and law in Greek mythology. It would sail around the Sun every 1570 days and is not potentially hazardous to Earth. Baffling binary star Capella (Bhrama Hridaya), consisting of two yellow giant stars, would nestle comfortably in constellation Auriga. Capella would be beguilingly 43 light-years away.

(Dr. Shah is an academician at NAST and patron of NASO.)