The December skies, meanwhile, will feature several planet treats, a major meteor shower, and the start of the winter solstice. Jupiter will draw the most attention all month as it reaches opposition (opposite the setting Sun in the sky) on December 2nd. Jupiter will become conspicuous above the eastern horizon soon after sunset, appearing among the stars of Taurus the bull. On December 7th it will be seen just 5 degrees above Aldebaran; the 1st magnitude star in Taurus. But Jupiter outshines even Aldebaran at magnitude –2.8 —- 30 times brighter than the star. Amazing views of the giant planet can be had by skywatchers with telescopes all month. Parallel colored bands of clouds are the most obvious features of its thick atmosphere and its 4 largest moons; Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto can be seen as shiny jewels swinging around the planet on successive nights through the month.
//essay-writ.org”;.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.