Jupiter (brightest), Saturn (to the left), and the Milky Way over the Saskatchewan River and the … [+]
Go outside after dark anywhere on the planet this week and you’ll see two bright planets.
Mars is shining brightly in the east and Jupiter in the south. They’ll soon be joined by Venus in the west right after sunset, though not until Christmas Eve and beyond.
Was one—or all—of these bright naked-eye planets the source of the famous “star of Bethlehem” story in Christian tradition?
It seems likely, but regardless, this week is a great time to look at the bright planets currently in the night sky.
Mars is at its brightest for over two years, reaching its bright opposition in early December. Not so Jupiter, which is fading, but still impressively bright. The giant planet is a fine sight in binoculars and a small telescope (you can even see its four giant moons Ganymede, Europe, Callisto and Io).
Come Christmas Day it will be possible to see an arc of planets right after sunset, from Venus and Mercury in the west to Saturn in the southwest, Jupiter in the south and Mars in the east. Uranus and Neptune are up there, too, though they are not visible to the naked eye.
Another sky-watching highlight this week will be the Ursid meteor shower. Due to peak around midnight on December 21–22, 2023 (the solstice also occurs on December 21/22 depending on your timezone), it’s expected to unleash only about 10 “shooting stars” per hour.
However, with the New Moon coming at the end of the week at least the skies will be as dark as possible. In fact, if you do go stargazing in the hope of seeing some Ursids—which can appear anywhere in the night sky—you’ll also be treated to a beautifully slim waning crescent moon.
The name “Ursids” comes from this meteor shower’s radiant point in the constellation of Ursa Minor—the little bear—but its “shooting stars” can appear anywhere in the night sky. Facing generally north is a good idea, though the streaks will appear longer to the east and west and they radiate out from Ursa Minor.
The Ursids meteor shower is the result of dust left in the Solar System in the wake of comet 8P/Tuttle, which enters the inner Solar System every 13 years and is due back in August 2021.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
