I N E D R I A C A S T N E O D I T A C L E O R N I G D S T S H A E P H M O O R C I . Z N O n i f d o P t o ) l a h O N r g i u s , o Z l t P h I C e r o N R ( I o r R r O e t p h C H p i L S t D E E a g r i . H ( B T F e O h T NORTH D R t h N e M e E s A G X O U e A H m M C T i . I n P i N d S L E E m P Z “ e E A N Dipper t e H O NORTHERN HEMISPHERE o M T R r T The Big The N Y s H h . E r o ” E K Alcor & e w ) t W S . s e . T u r T Mizar l E U p W C B e R e a N l W D k b E s T u T MAJOR W H o o The Evening Sky Map A DECEMBER 2018 n E C D O t FREE* EACH MONTH FOR YOU TO EXPLORE, LEARN & ENJOY THE NIGHT SKY URSA S e L h K h e t Y E m R d M A n o A a r Thuban S SKY MAP SHOWS HOW P Get Sky Calendar on Twitter n T 1 i n C A 3 E g R M J http://twitter.com/skymaps O Sky Calendar – December 2018 o d B THE NIGHT SKY LOOKS U M13 f n O N i D “ f L D e T DRACO A o c NE O I t I e T EARLY DEC PM T 8 m P t S i 3 Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 9h UT. O S b E L NW C e e A L E s r R E N U C LATE DEC PM 1 7 I T S . 4 . E M81 ” 3 Moon near Venus (41° from Sun, morning sky) at 21h UT. Mag. –4.7. e . N R T p T O M82 H a ( h M92 E Z SKY MAP DRAWN FOR h J I i s s U N R - S O 5 Moon near Mercury (17° from Sun, morning sky) at 22h UT. Mag. 0.9. i O A LATITUDE OF 40° W s T R ν T H a e A H MINOR E v NORTH AND IS S s i LYNX S H t p T URSA 7 at 7:21 UT. Start of lunation 1187. Y T New Moon A c l SUITABLE FOR e O R n S i n U I t HERCULES d Etamin s LATITUDES UP i i A E d d L NCP 7 Mars 0.04° NNW of Neptune (88° from Sun, evening sky) R C s E TO 15° NORTH a h R D I o Polaris m C OR SOUTH at 14h UT. Mags. 0.1 and 7.9. O w r Pollux I o e R N f Castor r E OF THIS G T Vega a o i U f 9 Moon near Saturn (evening sky) at 5h UT. Mag. 0.5. 13–14 Dec N E e O o O C ε p Geminids CEPHEUS CAMELOPARDALIS f W L o E R Lyr R t i I LYRA e ) s H β 12 (farthest from Earth) at 12h UT n P Moon at apogee s T S β a T O b D I C GEMINI r N C f T (distance 405,177 km; angular size 29.5'). i g H o A h M57 E ) s t r , H C a T m O t 14 Geminid Meteor Shower peaks at 12:30 UT. Produces AURIGA I s μ M e N t d P E s A i CASSIOPEIA bright, medium-speed meteors at its peak (up to 80 Z e u ( S CYGNUS t Capella Cluster δ m S h Double D - g D meteors/hour). Most reliable meteor shower. Easy to χ A s i Albireo r p Deneb I E M39 R b e η H E e M37 R observe (radiant on sky map). Best after midnight. e C d M35 M38 E PERSEUS M36 h T Cr 399 Cr V T m I 61 O O e 15 Moon near Mars (evening sky) at 2h UT. Mag. 0.2. N t Y e L 2264 T M27 o T Algol H ANDROMEDA r C s A 15 Mercury at greatest elongation west (21° from E . T R γ M1 I EAST A D 2244 P Sun, morning sky) at 11h UT. Mag. –0.4. P M31 TAURUS Y E K Betelgeuse A O S AQUILA R r 15 First Quarter Moon at 11:48 UT. MONOCEROS E i Pleiades S WEST o Altair Cr 69 H n A T γ Aldebaran . , L ) F s 20 Moon near the Pleiades (evening sky) at 16h UT. O T O h e N M33 c e T G Hamal s ORION i R H η T P 21 Moon near Aldebaran (evening sky) at 7h UT. ARIES DELPHINUS A 2232 u Hyades H ( P n E h t E M15 s B e i H 21 Mercury 0.8° NNE of Jupiter (20° from Sun, r Great Square f O T , β T γ of Pegasus o i S T s Enif I O w morning sky) at 20h UT. Mags. –0.4 and –1.8. σ PEGASUS t t M h P M42 e e A O h M b t F PISCES 21 December solstice at 22:25 UT. The time when the r f E T i g o H H h t T E Sun reaches the point farthest south of the celestial M2 s t e Rigel F M o s O A t m equator marking the start of winter in the Northern P n R c r o E I Circlet e T S n h N Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. s t T E t u H e LEPUS C l Mira o E l CETUS Mars 7009 s E a S t AQUARIUS e H 22 Full Moon at 17:49 UT. i T A o h t M n . E f S i ERIDANUS o E A n 23 Jupiter 5.2° N of Antares (22° from Sun, morning sky) M S t d I h a T T e e H h D at 20h UT. Mags. –1.8 and 1.0. W E e N i A D n h I t t S R e s E 24 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 9:57 UT (361,062 km; E r t T C s n A T k Diphda e I 7293 s D O y e angular size 33.1'). r N Symbols N T p I h CAPRICORNUS e A T e r T H t R 25 Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (morning sky) at 5h UT. A 3 a E Galaxy T v h C Y e t O r 253 s N U ti SE r O c α Fomalhaut ta S Double Star 26 Moon near Regulus (morning sky) at 18h UT. F al s R A s SW t A CE t n E . ar SCULPTOR ai P Variable Star B s FORNAX f P 29 Last Quarter Moon at 9:36 UT. E m 7 A G a f IT IN k PISCIS o Diffuse Nebula e g S B u in A 30 Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 15h UT. Y p AUSTRINUS r N U hi a ZO SI s is I Planetary Nebula N be t OR G lt le H More sky events and links at http://Skymaps.com/skycalendar/ TH . irc O- E θ C -T Open Star Cluster S he N KY PHOENIX T ZO All times in Universal Time (UT). (USA Eastern Standard Time = UT – 5 hours.) M RI Globular Star Cluster AP HO T M O F RO IN C F SAVE ON RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS • http://Skymaps.com/store D etu KY A B s is . T S RIG a l hale IGH Star Magnitudes HT arge SOUTH or w E N -1 0 1 2 3 4 • Star Atlases & Planispheres • Star Charts & Astro Posters STA conste nster TIR R PA llation l sea mo E EN TTER that represents a mythica S TH Copyright © 2000–2018 Kym Thalassoudis. All Rights Reserved. • Books for Sky Watchers • Telescopes & Binoculars N IN SHOW THE SKY KY MAP All sales support the production and free distribution of The Evening Sky Map. INSTRUCTIONS: THE S * TERMS OF USE: FREE FOR NON-COMMERCIAL EDUCATIONAL USE. ASTRONOMY EDUCATION GROUPS MAY FREELY DISTRIBUTE PRINTED HANDOUTS. FULL DETAILS AT http://Skymaps.com/terms.html About the Celestial Objects Easily Seen with the Naked Eye Listed on this page are several of the brighter, more interesting celestial objects Altair Aql Brightest star in Aquila. Name means "the flying eagle". Dist=16.7 ly. visible in the evening sky this month (refer to the monthly sky map). The objects are Capella Aur The 6th brightest star. Appears yellowish in color.