Dining & Nightlife | Astronomy

Surprisingly, many space-related firsts took place in December and January. For instance, on December 19, 1958, President Eisenhower spoke to the world from outer space. It was the first time a satellite was used to transmit the human voice. On December 14, 1962, the Mariner 2 spacecraft made the first successful planetary flyby, returning data on the atmosphere and surface temperature of Venus. Another first took place on December 21, 1968, when the Apollo 8 spacecraft carried astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders into orbit around the moon. This was the mission that brought us the now-famous “Earthrise” photograph. Not long thereafter, on the January 16, 1969, Russia made history with the first orbital docking of two manned spacecraft, the Soyuz 4 and the Soyuz 5. Finally, on January 5, 1972, NASA announced the Space Shuttle program.

The Winter Solstice falls on the 21st of December; it marks the shortest day of the year and the beginning of winter. This time, however, the Winter Solstice will not be alone—it will be accompanied by a total lunar eclipse, which happens only once every several hundred years. On the same day that the sun symbolically dies, the full moon will go dark—a rather ominous combination for those who believe in omens. Look for the eclipse in the small hours of December 21.

Jupiter and Uranus will be visible early in the evening during the months of December and January, while Venus will be the brightest object in the morning skies, rising well before the sun. While Jupiter and Venus are naked-eye planets, you will definitely need a telescope for Uranus.

Finally, there are two meteor showers on the way. The December Geminids peak between the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th, with some meteors being seen from the 9th through the 17th. Best viewing is after midnight, in the wee hours of the 14th, when one can expect up to 60 multi-colored meteors per hour. The moon will set early, so viewing should be excellent. The Quadrantids may be seen on the 3rd and 4th of January, with up to 40 per hour being expected. Look towards Bootes (the radiant) off the handle of the Big Dipper. Again, best viewing is after midnight. Events will be held at Custer celebrating these showers, so be sure to check custerobservatory.org for details.

Photo of lunar eclipse by Custer member Steve Orlando