TENNESSEE, USA — On Venus, on Jupiter, on Saturn and Geminid! On Comet, on Cold Moon, on Sirius and Solstice!
December 2021 has a lot going on in the sky. Here are eight things to look for in the night sky, other than Santa and his eight tiny reindeer, of course.
December 3
Venus will be at its maximum brightness after sunset in the southwest sky on Friday evening after sunset.
You may also be able to see the recently-discovered Comet Leonard if you know what you are looking for. Comets are notoriously hard to predict, but there is a chance to see it and its tail with binoculars or a telescope until Dec. 12 in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
December 7-8
Bright white Jupiter, creamy-colored Saturn and the crescent moon will join Venus at the planetary party on the evenings of Dec. 7-8.
December 14
The Geminid Meteor Shower will peak around 2-3 a.m. on Dec. 14 with up to 120 meteors per hour possible. You may have to wait until the moon sets at 3 a.m. for the best viewing conditions.
December 17
The Full Cold Moon will shine bright in the sky at 11:35 p.m. on Dec. 17.
Comet Leonard will also make a brief appearance in the evening sky near Venus on Dec. 17 about an hour after sunset, but again, we will have to wait and see how much of a show it decides to put on.
December 21
The Winter Solstice begins at 10:59 a.m. This will be the “shortest” day of the year, but daylight hours will begin to increase after.
December 25
We will be treated to a “Christmas Star” on Dec. 25 when Sirius will rise after 7 p.m. and be hard to miss all night. It’s the brightest star in the sky (besides the sun) after all.