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.
The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun.
The Ursids peak just before Christmas with rates of 5-10 meteors per hour during the late morning hours.
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.
Earth will be at the closest point in its orbit around the Sun on this date - 91,403,034 miles.
The Full Moon rises at sunset, and is visible all night. The Vatican Observatory's monthly Full Moon Meetup for Sacred Space Astronomy subscribers is held at 10:00 AM Tucson time.
Mercury's 88-day orbit around the Sun will carry it to its furthest point to the Sun – its aphelion – at a distance of 0.47 AU.
On February 15 2013 an asteroid exploded in the sky over the city of Chelyabinsk, in the the southern Ural region of Russia. The shock wave blew out windows all over the city, injuring over 1600 people, and damaged several buildings.
The planet Venus is a Perihelion (its closest approach to the Sun) on this date.
The Moon will pass into Earth’s shadow and appear to turn red on the night of March 13 or early in the morning on March 14.
The Moon is at First quarter on this date -it will be visible high in the southern sky in early evening.
Mars will be at the farthest point in its orbit around the Sun on this date - 154,425,919.9 miles.