An Astronomer's December.

Celestial Events in December 2025

Plenty to see this month, but as always, wrap up warm and especially make sure your boots and hat are Super Ninja North Pole Thermal quality. 

December 4 (evening): Full Moon (Cold Moon).

The last full Moon of the year will also be a supermoon, meaning it is at its closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit (perigee), making it appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than when it is farthest away. It will occur at 23:14 GMT.

December 7th: Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation & Jupiter at Opposition.

Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation, appearing at its farthest point from the Sun in the morning sky. 

This, coupled with Jupiter being at opposition (closest to Earth and fully illuminated), should make for good planetary viewing, especially in the early morning.

December 4th–20th: Geminid Meteor Shower Active.

The Geminids, one of the most reliable and spectacular meteor showers, are active during this period.

December 14th (peak): Geminid Meteor Shower.

The shower reaches its maximum on the night of December 13-14, with a possible rate of over 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. 

Viewing conditions in 2025 are favorable due to a waning crescent moon that will not interfere with the darker skies needed to spot the bright, multi-colored meteors.

December 19th: New Moon.

At 01:43 GMT, the Moon will be new, creating excellent dark-sky conditions for observing faint objects like galaxies and star clusters.

December 21: December Solstice.

The Winter Solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere) occurs at 15:03 GMT, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year.

December 17th–26th: Ursid Meteor Shower Active.

This minor shower typically peaks around the solstice, producing about 5–10 meteors per hour.

December 22nd (peak): Ursid Meteor Shower

The peak occurs on the night of December 21-22. A dark, nearly new moon makes for good viewing conditions for this often-overlooked shower. 

To be still and daydream

Down at Newgale today, Sunshine and blue sky therapy working well.

The waves gently break on the nearby shore; the air has a promise of colder days ahead. 

For now I sit and daydream.

No need for more words, this photos says it all.

Moon and Pleiades shake hands.

Recently I've been looking through some old phone pictures and found the following meeting from the first of April this year, between the Moon and the Pleiades.

Here's a picture I took off the event, with the old camera phone and the red Vixen refractor.

It goes to show, even the simplest of set ups can capture some useful astronomy images. 

Saying all that, I do have my eye on one of those SeeStar/Dwarf camera telescopes, they are definitely of interest.

Earlier this evening I met two local astronomers out and about imaging Comet Lemmon via a Dwarf telescope. 

The Dwarf returned a beautiful image of the comet. 

I may be an Old School Astronomer, but but I think I could be persuaded to make room for one of these handy portable imaging telescopes.

The lost words of the apparition of 2020

Last night I was searching and collating a stack of my old poems. 

In amongst the pile was an astronomy observation I made of the 2020/21 Apparition of Mars**.

I don't remember making this write up, but there it was, an A5 sheet all scribbles, both sides.

This morning I typed out the main body of the observation, and post it here for future reference. 

Also at that time I made a series of Mars sketches.

Finally  I can add my sketches to those lost words of the 2020 Apparition.

** The Astronomical Society of Edinburgh.

That's the way to draw it.

Long before the digital ccd and the film emulsion of photos past, there was pencil, ink and paper. 

Many of the lunar images I admire most fit the category of sketches or drawings.

There's something magical about being at a telescope, pencil and paper at the ready, teasing out lunar detail with eye and mind.

Then the hand converts those thoughts and findings into a working sketch.

Many a time I have looked to one of my old astronomy drawings and remember clearly the evening in question.

Here's a drawing by one of my favourite amateur astronomers, H.P Wilkins.

All the information you need is there, and beautifully drawn.

If Mr Wilkins was alive today, I bet he would remember that evening of September 21st 1939 clearly, as if it was yesterday. 

From am old astronomy memory.

Observing the sunspots in 1991.

Was it a hundred years ago, or just yesterday?  Seems like both.

This observing session is still vivid in my mind, it was a beautiful blue sky day. 

No fancy GOTO systems, just a simple Tasco telescope on a rickety alt/az mount, cheap eyepieces and scraps of paper. 

Love them or hate them, those wobbly old "department Store" refractors sure knew how to make memories.

Hiding from Amy, thinking of France.

We've been hiding in the bushes these past couple of days, away from storm Amy. 

No stars, no Moon, just several hours of armchair astronomy and a bit of photo editing of some 2024 France astro pics.

All of the above images were captured with my phone camera. 

On our next visit to France we will definitely be bringing a digital slr.

Our old Nikon D50 would do the job nicely for the shots I'm thinking of taking.

As storm Amy begins to fade, I see hints of blue appearing once again. 

Time to dust down the Vixen telescope.

Welcome to the night.

19h44m BST:

My inked words, on the page are barely visible, such is the twilight darkening fast. 

Each word now is a guess as I quickly write before the failing of the light.

The crescent Moon casts light across the bay, a glittering pathway, a road of Luna sparkle, safely walked only with imagination.

The bats fly by, hello - goodbye.

19h45m BST: 

No stars as yet, not a single solitary peep, I will have to take a closer look.

Sure enough, at 19h48m BST there was Arcturus, out to the west, hanging above St David's head.

On the beach before me a group of shadows shaped like sitting people -  Buddhas, pondering no doubt their own cosmic wonders, hopes, dreams and such.

19h51m BST: 

My words, finally succumb, I no longer see what I'm writing, but I carry on for a little while with guesswork and memory.

The sea waves sting the shoreline with a constant hiss from sand and brine.

My tea cup is empty, my mind is empty.

Welcome to the night.

The sheep talked much of the Moon.

Eight years ago this very evening we found ourselves at Mwnt church.

Just Helen and I and a collection of philosophical sheep. 

All was still, then up came the Moon.

The lunar rays were tinged orange, it shone a marvellous hint of warm fireside light across the white walls of little Mwnt church.

The sheep commented amongst themselves as to how pretty the night was, and how exceptionally beautiful was the Moonrise.

Over to the East, Mars was peeping out of nearby bushes.

It was a wonderful night for poets and dreamers.

Here's a small verse, and observation I made at the time,  from a recently refound journal:

Under the trees - Under the stars.

Last night we slept under a canopy of oak trees. 

Periodically acorns would fall from that canopy and crash loudly against the roof of our camping car.

It sounded as if someone was hurling ball bearings against the roof.

Surprisingly we managed to sleep well through the whole experience.

Outside the stars shone brightly.

To the North, all seven stars of the Little Bear stood out against a black 11.00pm sky. 

To the South Altair could be seen over the tops of some nearby trees.

In the near distance, two owls were talking about the weather.

It was a night to remember.

All was quiet, and astronomer still.

Mr Blue is back.

After four days of mist and rain, the Sun and Mr Blue sky return.

I love you Sun, I love you Mr Blue.

So amazing to wash my face with sunlight again. 

To bathe my feet in sunlit pools, and to revitalise my retinas with glaring photons, what a glorious pleasure.

Chanced a few solar pictures, this was the best of several shots taken.

Judging by what I can see today, from these active regions, it seems there is  plenty of solar activity still in this current cycle.

Thank you Sol, and Thank you Mr Blue.

Waiting for the rain.

If I listen carefully, I can just about hear the tiny tip tap of rain drops as they hit our camping car roof. 

Within the hour is forecast a down pour, though at this moment all is quiet and hushed .

A nearby vixen calls, the night is upon us, but sadly no stars.

Infact no stars for the last couple of nights, due to high winds and bullying clouds.

Autumn is here, and time and thoughts now turn to poetry.

This poem No: 494 was written last year whilst we were in France. 

It's also that time of year that the paintbrush and canvas usually grab me.

With poetry and painting to occupy the mind, I have plenty to keep me going whenever the clouds fill out the night.

Not long now and we will be heading off on a bit of a road trip, first stop will be a favourite... Brecon.

Amazing sunrises over this wonderful town, and some great dark skies. 

Total eclipse over Pembs Land.

Yesterday started with rain followed by rain and then guess what... yes rain!

Not the best start for an eclipse event, though the weather did improve as the day went on.

By early evening the Sun was shining, the clouds were making blue gaps, and the rain was having a well deserved rest!

The cloud on the horizon blocked out the Moonrise, but no matter we did manage a glimpse of the event. 

I was able to  capture a few photos.

Had a lovely chat with a couple of fellow stargazers, which made for a great evening of astronomy talk.

It was a good evening of lunar viewing, albeit in small peeps. 

Penblwydd Hapus Jac.

Vixen was out chasing the Sun this afternoon. 

Considering how wet and windy the day started I was surprised the afternoon behaved so well.

A quick solar image revealed several active regions, proof that this current sol cycle still has plenty of life in it.

So much light was flooding into the kitchen that the floor and door was positively glowing in a honeyed September light.

In a few hours time little Vixen will be set up on top of nearby Plumstone mountain, with the hope of capturing that rising Total Lunar Eclipse. 

There's a 25% chance that the clouds and rain will put a spanner in the works, but with luck that red faced Moon will make an appearance.

❤️❤️❤️PENBLWYDD HAPUS JAC❤️❤️❤️

XX🤠👩‍🌾XX

Still no Kemble's Cascade. A perfect Autumn day.

Still no Kemble's Cascade last night, too much cloud.

Hopefully Sunday will be clear for the total lunar eclipse. 

Today the clouds parted long enough for a quick Sol capture.

Some fast moving cloud shortened the observing session. 

Thought I would try out the video function on our phone.

The clouds filled the sky, and the observing session was cut short.

No matter, I managed a few peeps at the various active regions.

From some nearby trees several birds were happily singing to each other, and the September breeze was on the back of my neck. 

A perfect Autumn day.

Rising of the Autumnal Pleiades. Welcome September Skies.

The Pleiades are rising in the East, a sure sign of Autumn's return.

Those bright Summer skies of the past few months have just started to take on that familiar shade of September blue haze.

A breezy September beginning, with old Sol still majestic, and beaming bright.

Vixen was out and about this morning, capturing photons and sampling the delights of several sunspot groupings.

With camera phone in wobbly hand, I was able to capture a picture of today's Sun.

It's a good start to the new month.

There is a Total Lunar Eclipse on the 7th, with the Moon rising whilst in totality. 

We last witnessed such an event back in 2006. 

September 7th 2006 Total Lunar Eclipse  photo Jac Lee.

It was amazing to see the already red Moon slowly rise out of the ground from over towards the Preseli Hills. 

Also sometime this month there is going to be an occultation of Venus and the Moon; I will have to check, and post the details.

For the coming week I hope to capture a decent image of the asterism "Kemble's Cascade". 

Its been several years since I last had a peep at this beautiful display. 

Fingers crossed for some clear skies.

Early morning Venus & Jupiter's moons.

Up early this morning, Jupiter & Venus out to the East.

Its been ages since I've seen such a splendid display of these two luminaries.

Venus to the lower left was a bit shy and I had to wait a few minutes before she untangled herself from a nearby tree.

Jupiter was high and bright and sparkling.

With the little red Vixen on Jovian watch I could clearly make out all four of those Galilean satellites. 

Named as they are after Galileo Galilei , the first person to possibly see them telescopically.

Galileo's telescope was a toy by even modern "toy" standards, but it did afford him that unique first peep at those merry dancing moons of Jupiter.

With Vixen and my phone camera I was able to capture a photo. 

They were all lined up on one side of Jupiter, this would have been about 05h20m BST. 

The moons in order of alignment this morning were: 

Ganymede - Callisto - Europa - Io

Interestingly Callisto stood out as the dimmest of the group. 

Time for tea and a Look at the Sea

**

Parked up near Newgale, overlooking the divide of the Lundy Sea and the Irish Sea. 

All is calm and quiet, the perfect Sunday morning. 

I'm re reading David Levy's "SkyWatching" book this morning, what a brilliant book to have on the shelf.

Full of very useful astronomy information and a keeper.

I say keeper, having owned and passed on several copies over the years. 

This time I'm making sure I glue it to the shelf with a DO NOT SELL label printed on it!

No astronomy observing last night (Clouds filter 100% applied), I was hoping to give the little 60mm F13 refractor a bit of an airing.

As I write (still cloudy) more people are parking up, lets hope the quiet continues.

Time for a cup of tea and a bit more Sea watching.

**Image credit unknown: Apologies to whoever you are.

Zubenelgenubi & a trip to the Moon.

Sitting on our motorhome’s (Martha) kitchen step, drinking tea, looking out towards Stack Rocks.

The jewel that is Antares was shining red and greenish bright; a well named “Rival of Mars”. 

It was so good to be here in this astronomy moment.

The bright lights of several ships twinkled out in the bay, the sky mostly clear of cloud.

Tonight had the promise of astronomy for sure.

The Summer Triangle was first to be seen, an asterism which can be seen from now until Christmas.

Tonight's Triangle was most welcome, Vega first and brightest, followed in joint second place by Altair and Deneb.

These three stars of summer nights are a preview of what's ahead.

Eyes were on Libra tonight.

A quick binocular scan revealed  a popping in and out view of that wonderously named Libra alpha star Zubenelgenubi, hovering as it was above Skomer Island.

Turn the binoculars upwards to another beauty, Zubenelschamali, also known as Beta Librae.

It was 11.00pm and time for a final Scorpio and Libra breathe-out, a peep at the Plough and a nod to several wide angled doubles.

We prepared Martha for departure.

With a quick batten down of the hatches, we were ready to move on to a nearby spot for the night.

Would have happily stayed camped next to the singing waves of Newgale, but local authority regulations forbid this pleasant well being activity. 

Bureacracy...! such is the world most of us live in.

Whilst getting ready to head off, I was reminded of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Which was taking place exactly 56 years ago tonight. 

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (not forgetting Michael Collins circling above in the Command Module) were busily preparing for their next adventure, that of walking on the surface of the Moon.

“It’s one small step for man

One giant leap for mankind”.

How to Slow Down & Own the Day.

 

Ever wondered how to pronounce the names of those constellations? 

The answer lies in this great little book, "Guide to the Stars" by Hector Macpherson. 

As the book was written and printed in the 1940's it has no flashy digital AI generated content, no URL links, no glossy colour photos, just simple plain text, interspersed with line drawing illustrations.

If part of your day is filled with learning the pronunciations of the constellations, it has been  worthwhile.

This book is a perfect antidote to the modern speed crazy world most of us inhabit.

To seek the night sky via telescope or book, or in this case with pronounciation, astronomy is a  perfect way to "Slow down and own the day".

Rainy day look back.

Hiding from the rain and wind at the moment, no stars no Sun!

Time to look through past blog posts. 

Here's one I wrote 14 years ago today... FOURTEEN YEARS AGO ! 

Time does fly...!

May 27th 2025

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Binoculars, Peltier and Lawn Astronomy.

“Were I to write out one prescription designed to alleviate at least some of the self-made miseries of mankind, it would read like this: “One gentle dose of starlight to be taken each clear night just before retiring.”   Leslie C Peltier

It's been really quiet here of late in Simpson Cross, not much observing as the weather has been really bad. 

The night skies that have appeared were not really that good for astronomical observations, I've spent the time available just observing with binoculars.

Newcomers to the hobby of astronomy invariably look for a telescope as their first instrument. This is false economy I feel.

I would suggest the humble binoculars everytime.

They're light, inexpensive and very portable..and there's loads to see in the night sky with them.

My favourite pair of 8x30's only cost £5. 

I used to have a very useful pair of 10X50's that only cost £1.50...they looked really rough , but the optics were fine.

If it's cloudy with no stars to view , read a book.... that's what I do.....

As the weather has been playing up I have spent some of that lost observing time reading a brilliant book by a famous amateur astronomer, it's called The Starlight Nights by Leslie C. Peltier .

I have to say this book captures my feelings about amateur astronomy perfectly.

The chapters I'm reading at the moment are based in the 1920's and 30's.

It shows the reader a world were the pace of life was much slower.

A bygone age where our modern nightly orange glow of so called progress hadn't yet touched.

It seems to me with all our technological haste we are missing out on the simpler slower things of life.

The darkened night skies are one of these simplicities.

Leslie C Peltier's Starlight Nights reminds us to slow down.

I can't praise this book enough...

Famed comet hunter David H Levy gives a wonderfully succinct view of this book:
“Many books explain how to observe the sky; Starlight Nights explains why.” 

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Looking forward to warm summer nights

 Lawn astronomy

Hopefully the month of June will bring better night viewing than May. 

Summer is close, the nights are getting warmer and my annual " Lawn astronomy" season is close.... 
Let me explain:
Because most of the year seems to be cold, wet, windy...I guess you know what I mean....!!! , it's really nice to find a few weeks of the year when the ground is dry and the night time is hopefully warm & balmy. 

On these rare occasions I like to spend my nightly observing session simply lying in the back garden looking up at the stars overhead....

Often I wear headphones that are playing Jean Michell Jarre's  "Equinox" album.... 
This particular music and the beauty of the stars above, coupled with the warm evening.... really is therapeutic ....

Here's to a good summer ....
Clear skies   hopefully
Mark

Written: May 27th 2011