Calendar
Astronomical Events
Last Quarter Moon
The Moon is at Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – rising around midnight, and visible to the south after sunrise.
First Quarter Moon
The Moon is at First quarter on this date -it will be visible high in the southern sky in early evening.
Ursids Meteor Shower
The Ursids peak just before Christmas with rates of 5-10 meteors per hour during the late morning hours.
Winter Solstice
The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun.
Earth at Perihelion
Earth will be at the closest point in its orbit around the Sun on this date - 91,403,034 miles.
Last Quarter Moon
The Moon is at Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) – rising around midnight, and visible to the south after sunrise.
Conjunction of the Moon and Spica
The star Spica will appear 2.0°S of Moon on this date.
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
The Quadrantids have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year but usually fall short due to the short length of maximum activity (6 hours) and the poor weather experienced during early January. The average hourly rate is 25 meteors per hour.
First Quarter Moon
The Moon is at First quarter on this date -it will be visible high in the southern sky in early evening.