Celebration of Space - December 13, 2024
The Full Cold Moon of December happens on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
On Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 4:03 am EST, the full Moon of December will occur. The full Moon occurs when the Moon orbits into a position on the opposite side of Earth than the Sun. At this position, the side of the Moon that we see is in direct sunlight, leaving the other side in darkness. On the night of the full Moon, the Moon will rise with the setting Sun, and set with the rising Sun, keeping the Moon above the horizon for the entire nighttime period.
Like everything in the sky, humanity likes to name things, and the full lunar phases are no exception. The December Moon carries the moniker – The Full Cold Moon, which visitors to Frosty Drew this month can certainly agree with. Being that the December Moon is usually the closest full lunar phase to the Winter Solstice, the December Moon also is frequently referred to as The Long Night Moon because the Winter Solstice brings the longest period of nighttime of the year. Additionally, being that the December Moon is so close to the Solstice, it is often the highest Moon in the sky of the year. Other names the December Moon has gone by, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac are, The Moon Before Yule, The Little Spirit Moon, The Snow Moon, and The Winter Maker Moon.
Regardless of what you call the December Moon, you can’t miss it. That is unless it’s cloudy at your location. With the Moon being so high in the sky, it will appear to significantly illuminate the nighttime landscape. If you have snow or frost on the ground, then this illumination will be exaggerated. So step outside Sunday night, preferably after 10:00 pm and take a look at the super bright December full Moon and welcome the coming winter season.
Over the past few weeks have you noticed that rather bright, red-like star rising in the eastern sky after sunset? Well if you have, that is not a star, it is the planet Mars. Unlike the other planets that reside further from the Sun than Earth, Mars does not make an appearance every year in the night sky. This is due to Mars’ 687 day orbital period, which is about 43 days shy of 2 Earth years. The best time to observe these planets is when they are at opposition, which is when Earth arrives in between the planet and the Sun. For Mars, this happens every other year, because one year after opposition, Mars will be on the opposite side of the Sun (superior conjunction), and Earth has to complete another orbit to catch up. The next time we experience Mars’ opposition will be on January 15, 2025, at a distance of 59.7 million miles.
The best times to view Mars are in the month surrounding the date of opposition, with the week of opposition being the absolute best. Mars has a very eccentric (elliptical) orbit, with a perihelion (closest point to Sun) of 128.437 million miles from the Sun, and an aphelion (furthest point from the Sun) at a distance of 154.8457 million miles from the Sun. This eccentric orbit will cause Mars to warm significantly during perihelion, which will allow for intense convective currents to form on Mars’ surface. These currents will lift the dust into the atmosphere causing huge sandstorms, sometimes large enough to completely engulf Mars in the storm. Consequently, even though Mars will appear very bright in our night sky, views of the red planet in a telescope will not show any surface details. In 2025, Mars’ opposition will occur when Mars is at near 150.8 million distant from the Sun, which places it closer to aphelion. This will not allow for Mars to become as bright as we have seen it in the past, but the chance of planet-wide sandstorms on Mars is very low, which will make for potentially stunning telescopic views of surface features. So make plans this holiday break and in the new year to swing by Frosty Drew Observatory for a view of Mars in the big telescope, and have your moment with the red planet.
Due to the winter holiday schedule, the Frosty Drew Astronomy Team will be deep in festive holiday revelries with family and friends next Friday, and will not be available to open the Observatory and Science Center. As such, we will stay closed on Friday, December 20, 2024, and will return to our regular Stargazing Nights schedule on Friday, December 27, 2024. Also note that, in keeping with tradition, the Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center will open on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, for a New Year’s Eve view of the cosmos. Tickets are not required, just swing on by.
