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Sky Highlights and NEKAAL Events for DECEMBER 2016
December 7 – First Quarter
December 13 – Full Moon
December 20 – Last Quarter
December 29 – New Moon
January 26, 2017 – first General Meeting of New Year, Topeka Library, 7 pm.
PLANETS in December 2016
Evening Sky:
Mercury – in southwest
Venus – in southwest
Mars – in south
Uranus – in southeast
Neptune – in south
Midnight:
Morning Sky:
CONSTELLATIONS well placed in evening during December 2016
North to South, at 8-10 pm:
Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, also the Little Dipper
Cepheus, the King of Ethiopia
Cassiopeia, the wife of King Cepheus
Lacerta, the Lizard
Perseus, vanquisher of Medusa and rescuer of Andromeda
Andromeda, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia
Pegasus, the Winged Horse
Triangulum, yes, the triangle
Aries, the Ram
Taurus, the Bull
Sagitta, the Arrow
Cetus, the Sea Monster
Still LOTS of evening planets in December ! Check out the planet list above. Uranus is easily visible in binoculars, even visible naked-eye with deep dark-vision adaptation, from very dark skies. Mars is readily visible, but don't mistake it for its visual twin, the red star Antares.
The great Geminid meteor shower peaks December 13, unfortunately right at full moon, which will wash out this year's show.
Comet fans: we're coming into a 6-8 month period offering lots of comets. Already late in December, one evening comet should be visible in binoculars: periodic comet 45P, with the unlikely name of Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova. Look fairly low in the western sky in evening twilight, best late in the month within the constellation Capricorn.