Meteor shower, winter solstice await stargazers this December

A meteor shower and the winter solstice await Filipino stargazers on the last month of 2014, state astronomers said Monday.

 

PAGASA said the annual Geminids meteor shower will be active from December 4 to 17, peaking on the night of December 14 until the early morning hours of December 15.

 

"Under a dark and cloudless sky and just after midnight of its peak activity, meteors or 'falling stars' can be seen at an average rate of 40 meteors per hour," PAGASA acting administrator Vicente Malano said.

 

Malano said the meteor shower will appear to radiate from Gemini.

 

He also noted the Geminids differ from other meteor showers as they do not come from a comet but from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon.

 

"Meteors from this shower are very rocky and gritty and slightly easier to see compared to the other showers," he said.

 

Winter solstice

 

On Dec. 22, Malano said the Sun will reach the Winter Solstice at 7:03 a.m., Philippine time.

 

This marks the time when the Sun lies at its farthest point south of the equator and signals the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

"Philippine nights will be longer than daytime. Earth has now completed another annual circuit around the Sun," he said.

 

Stars and constellations 

 

At about 10 p.m., the famous equilateral Winter Triangle will be located at about 30 degrees above the eastern horizon in December.

 

The triangle includes Betelgeuse, the super giant red star and the prominent star of Orion; Sirius, the brightest star in the sky of Canis Major; and Procyon, the brightest star of Canis Minor.

 

Jupiter will rise about an hour before midnight during December, shining brilliantly at magnitude -2.3 and will be located among the background stars of Leo.

 

Mars will remain visible at the west-southwestern horizon about an hour after sunset, glowing at magnitude +1.0 and will be located among the background stars of Sagittarius.

 

Saturn will be found at 5:30 a.m. December 10 about 10 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon an hour after sunset, at the background stars of Libra.

 

At around 9:30 p.m. of December 1, Neptune and Uranus will be located at about 35 and 73 degrees above the western horizon.

 

They will be among the background stars of Aquarius and Pisces at magnitudes +7.9 and 53.8, respectively.

 

Venus and Mercury will not be visible during December. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News