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 d i f P o t o l ) a O h r N i g s u , Z o t l h P I e C r N o R I ( o R r r O t e h C p H p S L i t D a E E r g . H i ( B T F O e T D h R NORTH h t N e M e E A G s X O e U A m C H M T i n . I P i N d S L E E m P Z e “ E NORTHERN HEMISPHERE t A N Dipper e H O o M T r R T s The Big The Y N h H E . o r ” E K Alcor & w e ) t W . S e s . T r T Mizar u E l p U B W C e R a e N D k The Evening Sky Map W l E s b T T MAJOR u o DECEMBER 2010 WH A o n E C D FREE* EACH MONTH FOR YOU TO EXPLORE, LEARN & ENJOY THE NIGHT SKY t O URSA S h e L K e h Y t E m R d M o A n A r SKY MAP SHOWS HOW a Thuban n S P T i 1 n C A 3 g E R M Sky Calendar – December 2010 J O o THE NIGHT SKY LOOKS B d f U M13 O n D N “ i f e L D T c O A DRACO o NE e I I t EARLY DEC 8 PM T m P T t S O 1 Moon near Saturn (morning sky) at 13h UT. Mag. +0.9. S i b L E NW C e A e L E r R s E N LATE DEC 7 PM 1 I U C S T 4 . 1 Mercury at greatest elongation, 22° east from Sun (evening sky) ” . E M81 . e N R T T p H O M82 h a ( M92 SKY MAP DRAWN FOR E Z J i h I at 16h UT. Mag. –0.4. s U N s R O - i S A LATITUDE OF 40° O s R T W ν T H a H A e NORTH AND IS MINOR E s 2 Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 3h UT. v S S LYNX i p T H t A URSA Y l T c e R SUITABLE FOR O n n S U i I d HERCULES 2 Venus at its brightest at 11h UT (morning sky). Mag. –4.7. t Etamin LATITUDES UP i s A E d i L R NCP d s C TO 15° NORTH E h a R 2 Moon near Venus at 18h UT (morning sky). o D I Polaris OR SOUTH w C O m r Pollux e I R o N r f Castor OF THIS E 5 New Moon at 17:36 UT. Start of lunation 1088. G o T Vega E a f i U Dec 13–14 Dec N C e o O O ε L Geminids p f CEPHEUS CAMELOPARDALIS W t I E R Lyr R 7 Moon near Mercury at 7h UT (19° from Sun). Mag. –0.1. o e i P LYRA ) H β s n T T s S β I a b O D C C GEMINI 13 Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 9h UT r i N T f g H A o h M57 E ) t (distance 404,406 km; angular size 29.3'). s , r H C a m T O AURIGA t I μ s M e N 13 First Quarter Moon at 13:59 UT. d t P E i s A CASSIOPEIA Z u e ( S CYGNUS Capella m Cluster t δ S h D Double 13 Moon near Jupiter at 21h UT. Mag. –2.5. - s g D χ A i p Albireo Deneb I E r e M39 R b η H e E 14 Geminid Meteor Shower peaks at 11h UT. M37 R d e C M35 M38 E PERSEUS M36 T h m Cr 399 Cr V I T 61 O Produces bright, medium-speed meteors at its O e N t Y e L 2264 T o M27 T peak (up to 80 meteors/hour). Very favorable Algol H r ANDROMEDA C s A E . T R γ M1 viewing conditions this year. I EAST A D 2244 P P M31 TAURUS Y E 19 Moon near Aldebaran (evening sky) at 23h UT. K O Betelgeuse A S air AQUILA r R MONOCEROS i Pleiades E o S WEST Alt Cr 69 H 20 Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun at n A T Aldebaran γ , . L ) F T O s h 1h UT. Mercury passes into the morning sky. O N M33 e e c T G Hamal ORION s H R η i T ARIES DELPHINUS P A u 2232 Hyades 21 Full Moon at 8:13 UT. H ( P n E t h E e M15 B s r Great Square i H 21 Total Eclipse of the Moon begins at 7:41 UT and O , f T β T i γ of Pegasus o S T s Enif I O w t σ PEGASUS ends at 8:53 UT. Mid-eclipse at 8:17 UT. Partial t M h P M42 e e A O b h M phases begin at 6:33 UT and end at 10:01 UT. Moon F PISCES t r i f E T g H o H h T will appear red-orange in color during totality (the E t t M2 e Rigel s F M o s O A t Earth’s shadow). Entire eclipse visible from North m R P c n o r E I n Circlet e T S America, and eastern Pacific Ocean. s h N T t t E H e LEPUS u C l Mira l o E a CETUS 7009 s E Jupiter 21 December solstice at 23:43 UT. The time when the Sun t H S AQUARIUS e A i T o h M n t . E S reaches the point farthest south of the celestial equator i f E n ERIDANUS o A M S t d I h a T marking the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere T e e H W h D E N i e A and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. D n h t t I e S R s E E r t T C s n A 24 Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (morning sky) at 1h UT. T k Diphda e I y 7293 s D O . e N Symbols N T r I h CAPRICORNUS p A 25 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 12h UT (368,465 km; 32.7'). T e e T H r 3 t R A a E Galaxy T v C Y e aut th 25 Moon near Regulus (morning sky) at 16h UT. O rt 253 N U i SE rs O c α a S Double Star F al Fomalh t R A SW s A 28 Last Quarter Moon at 4:18 UT. C st t E E a SCULPTOR in P . rs FORNAX a P Variable Star B f A E m C IS 7 29 Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 10h UT. G a f IT IN ke PIS o Diffuse Nebula g S B up n A Y h AUSTRINUS ri N 31 Moon near Venus at 15h UT (morning sky). U i a ZO Planetary Nebula SI s is I N be t OR G lt. le H More sky events and links at http://Skymaps.com/skycalendar/ TH irc O- Open Star Cluster E θ C -T SK he ON Y PHOENIX T IZ All times in Universal Time (UT). (USA Eastern Standard Time = UT – 5 hours.) MA OR Globular Star Cluster P T H O OM FIN C FR SAVE ON RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS • http://Skymaps.com/store D etu KY A B s is . T S RIG a la hale IGH Star Magnitudes HT rge SOUTH or w E N -101234 • Star Atlases & Planispheres • Star Charts & Astro Posters STA conste nster TIR R PA llation l sea mo E EN • Books for Sky Watchers • Telescopes & Binoculars TTER that represents a mythica S TH Copyright © 2000–2010 Kym Thalassoudis. All Rights Reserved. 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. Spectroscopic binary. Dist=42 ly. δ Cephei Cep Cepheid prototype.