The final month of 2024 will provide us with just as many exciting night-sky events as the rest of the year has. From the most plentiful annual meteor shower to the official first day of winter, here are some of December’s most anticipated astronomical phenomena.
The Geminids meteor shower, which is visible annually between December 7 and December 17, will peak this year on the night of December 13 and the morning of December 14. Despite the fact that the Geminids are now considered the “king of meteor showers,” when they first began appearing in the mid-1800s, the shower had a much lower rate of only around 15 meteors visible per hour. Now, they are said to be one of the most reliable annual showers, with an average hourly rate of up to 150 meteors visible each hour. Geminid meteors are known for being bright, fast, and usually yellow in colour. Though this year’s opportunities for Geminid meteor spotting will likely be interrupted by more moonlight interference than in past years, with the full moon of December rising only a few days after the peak, it will still be an unmissable astronomical event for many. Unlike the majority of meteor showers that originate from comets, the Geminids were created by an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon. This small asteroid (with a diameter of only about 5 kilometers across) was discovered on October 11, 1983, and was found to be the source of the Geminid meteor shower by astronomer Fred Whipples.
The final full moon of the year, commonly known as the Cold Moon, will be visible on December 15. Named for the lower temperatures of December, this moon has also been referred to as the Long Night Moon, the Frost Exploding Moon, the Moon of the Popping Trees, and the Little Spirit Moon.
This year, the winter solstice (also known as the December solstice) will fall on December 21 at 4:19 AM (Eastern Time). In the Northern Hemisphere, this will be the shortest day and longest night of the year, and is also the astronomical first day of winter (while the meteorological first day of winter falls on December 1). On this day, the North Pole will be at its farthest point from the Sun in its yearly orbit. Historically, many different cultures have celebrated the winter solstice through festivals and feasting with family members. In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is true, and December 21 will mark the longest day of the year and the first day of summer.
The second meteor shower of the month, the Ursids, will reach its peak during the night of December 21 and the morning of December 22. This is a very minor meteor shower compared to the Geminids and usually has an hourly rate of only 5-10 meteors. This shower will likely also be greatly impaired by moonlight, but patient viewers still get the chance to observe the Ursid meteors, which are formed by the leftover dust grains from comet Tuttle. This shower always peaks on or near the date of the December solstice and will be the last meteor shower of 2024.
Each of these events will provide astronomy enjoyers with experiences to observe the wonders of outer space firsthand. Whether you choose to try to spot an elusive Ursid meteor or view the rising of the Cold Moon, December is sure to provide anyone with an enjoyable viewing experience.