THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
70 Falmouth Street      Portland, Maine 04103
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43.6667° N    70.2667° W  Altitude:  10 feet below sea level Founded January 1970
2021-2022: LI
"My mother, I tell you, she had the patience of occupation."
[An example of an occasion in which one should not use a Thesaurus.]

THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Thursday, December 2, 2021
December 2021 Night Sky Calendar Part II


Before we proceed with today's calendar segment, we would like to command you to venture outside early this evening (or, as it turns out, late this afternoon) and witness two brilliant planets in the western sky and a dimmer planet almost midway between them! The brightest planet, and the one closest to the western horizon, is Venus, which outshines every celestial object apart from the Sun and moon. The other bright planet is Jupiter and the dim planet is Saturn. Heavens above are these worlds setting the evening sky alight! Well, at least Venus and Jupiter are. Moreover, one will also watch the phasing moon moving along the line connecting these three planets during the first full week of December! What a splendid time to observe the evening sky!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3: MOON NEAR MARS! (Bronze event!)
After a prolonged hiatus, Mars has returned to the eastern pre-dawn sky. (Keep your eye on Mars as it rises earlier, draws closer and grows brighter over the next twelve months leading up to its December 8, 2022 opposition.) Tonight one will see Mars close to the extremely thin waning crescent moon (1% illuminated). Mars will rise around 5:03 a.m. and remains quite low along the horizon.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4: NEW MOON
Beginning of lunation cycle 1224.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5: BRIGHT INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLY-OVER!
The International Space Station (ISS) flies over our region quite often. Sometimes, it remains invisible because it either appears during the day or the Sun angle is too far away to reflect off its panels. Consequently, the ISS is visible either in the early evening or pre-dawn. Today, one will observe a brilliant ISS fly over in the early evening! The international space station will rise in the northwestern sky at 5:25:20 p.m. It will reach its greatest altitude of 76 degrees at 5:30:50 p.m. At this moment, it will shine at magnitude -3.9 and will appear five times brighter than Jupiter. The ISS will vanish at 5:32:32 p.m. at which time it will be 27 degrees above the southeastern horizon.

Chart size  (500 - 1600)

Date:05 December 2021
Orbit:417 x 423 km, 51.6° (Epoch: 02 December)

EventTimeAltitudeAzimuthDistance (km)BrightnessSun altitude
Rises17:25:200°302° (WNW)2,3800.7-14.2°
Reaches altitude 10°17:27:2610°304° (NW)1,513-0.4-14.5°
Maximum altitude17:30:5076°31° (NNE)439-3.9-15.1°
Enters shadow17:32:3227°113° (ESE)844-2.7-15.4°
Image:  Heavens-above.com

MONDAY DECEMBER 6:  MOON NEAR VENUS  (SILVER EVENT)
See the waxing crescent moon (7% illuminated) near Venus in the western evening sky.   The sight of luna and aphrodite will entrance even  the most stone-hearted.    Find them both early this evening.

TUESDAY. DECEMBER 7:  VENUS AT ITS BRIGHTEST OF THE YEAR
Although it is never dim, Venus' brightness does vary as its distance from Earth and the Sun changes.   Tonight, Venus will shine at its maximum brightness (magnitude -4.7) for the year 2021.    While Venus can appear even brighter (magnitude -5.0 is its maximum value), the second planet will dazzle and delight tonight!

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8:  MOON NEAR SATURN
An observer won't need the moon's help to find Venus or Jupiter.  However, tonight one can use the moon to find Saturn, which is currently 13 times dimmer than Jupiter, and 131 times dimmer than Venus.    See the waxing crescent moon (25% illuminated) close to Saturn in the western evening sky.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9:  MOON NEAR JUPITER
The moon completes its planetary tour tonight when it appears to move close to Jupiter.   See the giant planet and its waxing crescent moon (31% illuminated) passing through the western sky this evening, 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10:  FIRST QUARTER MOON



Part III on Monday.
Brain of Portland quiz tomorrow!

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