The New Year’s Eve Sky

If you’re not out partying at midnight, and it’s clear where you are, step outside and take a look at the wonderful panorama that the sky is presenting at midnight.

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Mars is directly south at the midnight hour, shining with it’s ruddy light upon the winter scene. It is still the brightest object in the current night sky, barely beating out the star Sirius (which lies below Mars, to the lower left of the constellation Orion).

And even though Mars steals the show this year, the “star” of the New Years’ Eve sky belongs to the star Sirius.

Sirius is visible every night during the winter, and is the brightest star in the night sky. It makes it’s travels through the southern sky nightly, following the constellation Orion in the sky. Sirius, the “Dog Star” is part of the constellation “Canis Major”, or the “Big Dog.” The “Little Dog,” or “Canis Minor”, lies above Sirius between it and the constellation Gemini. These two constellations (Canis Major and Minor) are the two faithful dogs which help Orion as he hunts in the night sky.

But it is at midnight on New Years’ Eve that Sirius takes it’s prominent place in the sky.

On December 31st, Sirius reaches upper culmination (the highest point in it’s nightly travels in the sky) at midnight. Now, depending on your location in your local time zone, Sirius may or may not be exactly at its highest point, but on average it is. And, like the ball dropping in Time’s Square, the playing of “Auld Lang Zine”, the toasting of the New Year, Sirius comes by each and every year at this time.

So if it is clear, take your significant other outside and show them the wonderful night sky at midnight. And, while the strains of that classic song waft through the windows, share your New Years’ kiss under the stars. How can you beat that for a romantic setting?

The Opposite of Mars

In the sky is the Sun.

Today Mars is in “opposition,” which means that the planet is opposite the sun in the sky, with the Earth in between. So as the sun sets, mars will be rising in the northeastern , with the moon following shortly thereafter.

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Last week Mars was at it’s closest to the Earth, and the time between sloe approach and opposition varies due to the eccentricity of the planets’ orbits.

Over the coming days and weeks, Mars will continue to rise earlier and earlier as the Earth passes Mars in its orbit around the sun. We - because we are closer to the sun - orbit faster than Mars, or any other of the “outer planets.”

If it is clear tonight, take a peek and see Mars rise as the sun sets.

And while you’re at it, glance at the moon as well, for you won’t see anything like it for sixteen years.

Tonight’s moon rides high on the ecliptic, like it does every December. But what’s interesting about this year is the moon won’t be this high in the sky until the year 2023.

So if you can make it outside, and it’s clear where you live, you will get to see two amazing things: Mars as close as it will be for the next nine years, and the moon the highest it will be for the next sixteen.

Isn’t the sky amazing?

December’s Full Moon

On Sunday evening at 8.15pm EST, the moon will be full, shining down on the wintry  landscape, casting its pale light on the snow-laden fields. And this year, it has company.

Tonight the planet Mars will be sailing along with the moon across the sky, and in mid-evening they will only be separated by 2/3rds of the moon’s diameter in the sky.

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This month’s moon is also the Full Cold Moon, when the moon is riding high in the longest nights of the year. The moon holds another surprise for tomorrow night, Christmas Eve…