Last Minute Astronomer - December 2023

Some slight changes to Saturn and Jupiter in the sky, the start of a big change for Venus, and even more rocks fall from the sky this December here on the Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare.  Let’s start by talking about the naked eye planets visible this month, the lunar phases, and then the meteor shower and other events, so you can plan ahead better than me.    13th/14th – Geminid Meteor Shower – A VERY good year for this shower, as there is only a thin crescent Moon which sets early.  So get out there and take advantage of the possible 100 meteors per hour!   When? Really, any time of the night is good, though the closer you are to dawn on the 14th, the better. Where do I look? The whole sky, but note Gemini is where the radiant is - where the meteors will appear to be coming from. Gemini will be in the East after sunset, South after midnight, West in the morning. But be well prepared… Commit yourself to staying out at least 20 minutes. Find a dark location and lie down in a reclining chair or hammock Check the weather to see if the skies will be clear  Adapt your eyes to the dark by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.   You never know when a nice meteor will burn up, so take a nice look at the sky in general, noting that the meteors will appear to go from the radiant and outward. Dress warmly! Layers!   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].