What’s up?

stars are born.

To the lower right of Orion the twins in

Gemini are visible and from 11:30 to 03:00 on the 14th, the Geminid meteor shower reaches its maximum. You could look out for it a few days either side of the maximum as well.

The Great Southern Triangle is also visible, comprising the red super giant star Betelgeuse in Orion, Sirius and Procyon (see sketch). In a fairly straight line from the belt stars to the Hyades and on to isiLimela (the Pleiades), then further to the left, is the Andromeda galaxy, the remotest object visible to the naked eye.

The evening sky has few other significant stars or constellations visible other than the Southern Cross and the Pointers very low in the south, just touching the tops of the trees. To the Venda people, the Southern Cross is known as Thutlwa - the Giraffe stars - as they graze the tops of the trees.

Early risers will see Orion "tipped" over and setting in the west, while Venus dominates the morning sky in the north-east. The Southern Cross and the Pointers are now well up in the south-east.

Happy solstice, have a joyous festive season and may 2019 be everything you wish it to be.

The sky in December

The Moon as seen in the northern hemisphere. (In the southern hemisphere we see the same view, just upside down.) Looking at the terminator of the Moon on the 14th, a pair of binoculars will reveal these indicated features, caused by sunlight falling on ridges between craters. The “E” is a little more challenging! To the left of the “O” is an X. LOVE sealed with a kiss!