This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023 Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023 Dec. 2 – Dec. 9
Soon many naturalists throughout the province will be busy performing Christmas bird counts. If you are on your toes and not too worn out you can add four stellar birds between dusk and dawn. Start with the easy ones around 6 pm by looking for the three bright stars of the Summer Triangle above the western horizon. The lowest of the three is Altair, the head of Aquila the Eagle, which is standing straight up on the horizon. The highest of the trio is Deneb at the tail of Cygnus the Swan, which is doing its signature dive. The third member is Lyra the Harp with its bright star Vega to the right of Altair. A few centuries ago celestial cartographers depicted the harp in the talons of an eagle or vulture, so maybe we can claim that as a fifth bird.
Midnight is your best chance to spot the elusive and tiny Columba the Dove, but you will need an unobstructed southern horizon. Look below Orion for Lepus the Hare, and then try to see stars near the horizon directly below. Very few bird counts will be missing the common crow but, in case you did, look about a hand span above the southern horizon around 6:30 am for a distinct quadrilateral of stars. There you will find Corvus the Crow hitching a ride on the tail of Hydra the Water Snake.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:41 and sunset will occur at 4:34, giving 8 hours, 53 minutes of daylight (7:43 and 4:42 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:49 and set at 4:33, giving 8 hours, 44 minutes of daylight (7:51 and 4:41 in Saint John). We are at that period when the Sun sets around the same time for two weeks, although day length continues to decrease until the solstice.
The Moon is near Regulus in Leo this Sunday and reaches third quarter phase early on Tuesday. Next Friday and Saturday mornings it passes below Spica and Venus, respectively. Saturn is highest in evening twilight, setting around 11 pm. Tuesday is a busy evening for Jupiter watchers, with Ganymede reappearing from the planet’s shadow at 5:40, Europa’s shadow transiting between 8:55 and 11:15, and Io disappearing behind Jupiter at 10:36 when the planet is near its highest. Mercury is at its farthest from the Sun in the evening sky on Monday, setting at 5:50, so this is the best week to see it with binoculars. Venus is near Spica in the morning sky this weekend, slowing moving sunward.
The Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on December 2 at 7pm. On Sunday evening at 8 pm, tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show via the Facebook page or YouTube channel of Astronomy by the Bay.