There is going to be a lot to look at between now and the December solstice: two eclipses, 4 meteor showers, the brightest world in the solar system reaching its peak in brilliance and a possible intense comet! Lets take a more detailed take a look at each of these upcoming events.Related: The brightest worlds in the night sky: How to see them (and when)Nov. 19: A practically total eclipse of the moon.Map of the partial lunar eclipse of Nov. 19, 2021. (Image credit: Fred Espenak/NASA)North and South America remain in a very great position to see the lunar eclipse on Nov. 19. It will happen in the predawn hours, with the visible phases ending before moonset. The moon will move through the southern part of Earths dark umbra, and at the point of biggest eclipse 97.5% of the moons diameter will be immersed in shadow. Earths shadow is not entirely dark due to the fact that some of the sunlight striking Earth is diffused and scattered by the worlds environment. Enough of this light reaches the moon to provide it a faint coppery radiance. This glow, integrated with the uneclipsed yellow sliver of moon, will develop what some people call the “Japanese lantern effect”– a noticeably lovely sight for the naked eye, or when seen through binoculars or a little telescope. The extremely early stages of the eclipse will be noticeable from the United Kingdom and parts of northern Europe prior to moonset. Eastern Asia and Australia will likewise see it after moonrise later on that evening. Biggest eclipse comes at 4:03 a.m. Eastern Time, or 1:03 a.m. Pacific Time. Dec. 4: Total eclipse of the sunA NASA map of the course the total solar eclipse of Dec. 4, 2021 will take across Antarctica. (Image credit: Fred Espenak/NASA)The last eclipse of 2021 will show up just from the icy continent of Antarctica. The course of totality, averaging 265 miles (427 kilometers) large, will sweep inland south-southwest from the Weddell Sea, passing over Berkner Island and the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, then continuing across West Antarctica, darkening the Executive Committee Range (a range of mountains consisting of five significant volcanoes), prior to moving offshore at the Ross Sea. For even the most ardent eclipse chaser, this will prove to be a difficult assignment, although a couple of sturdy souls did see the last overall solar eclipse visible there in 2003 from the ground, while others flew over the frozen land in industrial airplane. A little partial eclipse can be glimpsed from parts of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, as well as Tasmania, southern areas of New South Wales and Victoria in Australia and a little piece of southernmost New Zealand and Stewart Island. Meteor showersA Taurid meteor streaks across the sky above Assateague Island National Seashore. (Image credit: Jeff Berkes Photography)Coming less than a day after full phase, moonlight will flood the sky and ruin observations of the optimum of this years Orionid meteor shower, which occurred the night of Oct. 20-21. Under favorable circumstances, this two-day display yields about 2 lots meteors per hour, lots of with relentless trains.For about two weeks, conditions will be very favorable for observing the weak, long-lasting Taurid meteor shower, which ought to peak about Nov. 8, four days after the brand-new moon. Observers with clear, dark skies can expect to see about eight to 10 Taurids per hour throughout early and mid-November, with perhaps as numerous as a dozen or so per hour on the peak night. On the date of optimum activity, the radiant will be greatest in the southern sky at around 1 a.m. in your regional time.Somewhat unusually, simply as lots of Taurid meteors can be seen at night as in the early morning, due to the fact that the showers glowing (midway between the V-shaped Hyades star cluster and the popular Pleiades) is fairly high all night. The greater a showers radiant, the more meteors appear all over in the sky. The Taurid showers display lasts for an exceptionally long time, and at least a couple of meteors per hour can be seen from Oct. 20 to Nov. 30. The Taurids are debris from the periodic comet Encke. The meteors are the slowest of any significant meteor shower, coming across Earth at just 17 miles (28 km) per second. As a result, the Taurids are in some cases referred to as “The Halloween fireballs,” because of the lots of vibrantly colored meteors. While yellow is the primary color, numerous orange, green, red and blue fireballs have actually been observed. Astrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured this shot of Leonid meteors over a home in New Jersey in 2012. (Image credit: Jeff Berkes)Meanwhile, a nearly full moon will significantly obstruct observations of the famous Leonid meteor shower. It reaches optimum on Nov. 17, however bright moonlight will mainly rinse many of the meteors. Moonlight will cause still more problems in December, when the waxing gibbous moon will lighten up the sky for much of the night and will seriously obstruct observations of this years Geminid meteor shower, which reaches maximum on the night of Dec. 13-14. The emanation point of these meteors, near the brilliant star Castor in Gemini (hence the name Geminids) increases from the east-northeast as evening twilight ends; it will be well put in the northwestern sky when the moon sets on Dec. 14 at approximately 2:50 a.m. regional time and on Dec. 15 at roughly 3:50 a.m. Morning twilight will not interfere up until about 6 a.m. During those periods of darkness, observers with clear, dark skies may see maybe as lots of as one meteor per minute. Slow-moving fireballs are a function of this display screen. Decembers “Christmas star”Venus has to do with half-illuminated throughout October, and the world will be a thin crescent phase by the end of 2021. (Image credit: Starry Night)During December, Venus will be more amazing than at any other point in 2021 and 2022, in either the early morning or the evening sky. It will be so brilliant that youll have the ability to identify it in a clear blue sky prior to sunset if your eye arrive on the ideal point in the south-southwest. As twilight comes on, Venus will appear to grow brilliant and progressively large. Venus reaches its highest altitude of the year in early December (for observers at middle northern latitudes), and its at its biggest brilliancy on Dec. 3 (though it shines at basically its optimum possible brightness of magnitude -4.9 for much of the month). This is not one of Venuss better apparitions. Intense as it is, the world is just about 15 degrees above the horizon 45 minutes after sunset during the first half of December; you might have to move to get a view past local obstructions. Our sister world is nearing completion of among its low phantoms, and by Christmas it will drop quickly into the twilight glow, gain speed and will disappear from the evening sky throughout the first week of January. The comet The newly found comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard) will make its closest method to Earth on Dec. 12, 2021. (Image credit: NASA/JPL)Comet Leonard, cataloged as C/2021 A1, was discovered by Gregory Leonard at Arizonas Mount Lemmon Observatory on Jan. 3, 2021– exactly one year prior to perihelion, its closest method to the sun. On Dec. 12, it will pass within 21.7 million miles (34.9 million km) of Earth, and on Jan. 3, 2022, it will pass within 57.2 million miles (92 million km) of the sun. During the very first 2 weeks of December, Comet Leonard will show up for a number of hours before daybreak, low in the east-northeast sky. It will track through the constellations Coma Berenices, Boötes and Serpens Caput. It should be an easy challenge see with a small telescope or a pair of field glasses — and maybe with the unaided eye. During the latter half of December, as the comet gets closer to the sun, it will slowly get absorbed into the light of dawn and finally vanish from view. Space.com will keep you published on its development as we move into December, so stay tuned! Joe Rao works as an instructor and guest speaker at New Yorks Hayden Planetarium. He discusses astronomy for Natural History publication, the Farmers Almanac and other publications. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
Meteor showersA Taurid meteor streaks across the sky above Assateague Island National Seashore. Under favorable scenarios, this two-day display yields about 2 lots meteors per hour, many with relentless trains.For about two weeks, conditions will be extremely favorable for observing the weak, lasting Taurid meteor shower, which should peak about Nov. 8, four days after the brand-new moon. The meteors are the slowest of any major meteor shower, experiencing Earth at simply 17 miles (28 km) per second. Moonlight will trigger still more problems in December, when the waxing gibbous moon will lighten up the sky for much of the night and will seriously obstruct observations of this years Geminid meteor shower, which reaches optimum on the night of Dec. 13-14. The emanation point of these meteors, near the bright star Castor in Gemini (hence the name Geminids) increases from the east-northeast as evening twilight ends; it will be well put in the northwestern sky when the moon sets on Dec. 14 at approximately 2:50 a.m. regional time and on Dec. 15 at roughly 3:50 a.m. Morning twilight will not interfere up until about 6 a.m. During those durations of darkness, observers with clear, dark skies might see perhaps as many as one meteor per minute.
