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[ ♪ ]

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What's Up for December?

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high rates for the
Geminid meteor shower,

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a visible comet

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and a fond farewell.

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Hello and welcome. I'm Jane
Houston Jones from

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NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in Pasadena, California.

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December's Geminid meteors peak
on the morning of the 14th

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at 7:30 a.m. Eastern Standard
Time or 4:30 a.m. Pacific

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and are active from December 4th
through the 17th.

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The peak lasts for
a full 24 hours,

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meaning meteor watchers
around the globe

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will get to see this spectacle.

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If you can see the familiar
winter constellations

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Orion and Gemini in the sky,
you'll see some Geminids.

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Expect to see up to 120
meteors per hour

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from a dark sky location

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but only after the
first quarter moon sets

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around midnight your local time.

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From the Southern Hemisphere,
observers should see fewer

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but still plenty of
medium-speed meteors

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once Gemini rises
above the horizon

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after midnight local time.

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The best observing equipment
for meteor watching

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is a comfortable chair
and your eyes.

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[whoosh]

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Comet 46P/Wirtanen started
to brighten last month

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but it will be easier
to see in December.

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It's a short-period comet

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with an orbital period
of only 5.4 years.

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Its diameter is estimated
to be 3/4 of a mile

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or 1.2 kilometers across.

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On December 16, 46P will
be only 7.2 million miles

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or 11.7 million kilometers
from Earth

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and will reach an estimated
naked-eye magnitude

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of 3 to 7.5

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making this comet's pass the
brightest predicted

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and the brightest close approach
to Earth in over 20 years.

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Catch your last view of
Saturn for several months

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when it's near the
Moon at sunset

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December 8 thru
the 10th.

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Then Mars meets up with the Moon
December 13th thru the 15th.

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From December 24th to the 26th
catch the Moon above, near, and

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below Leo's bright
white star Regulus.

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Year-end brings the Moon near
Virgo's pretty white star Spica

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from the 29th through the 31st.

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It's been an honor
to write and host

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these monthly stargazing
shows for you since 2007.

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What's Up has covered the
day and nighttime sky,

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from sunsets to eclipses,

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planets, comets, and everything
in our amazing solar system

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and beyond--

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and will continue to do so next
year with a new voice.

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Remember, you can catch up on

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all of NASA's current and future
missions at:  www.nasa.gov

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That's all for me. I'm
Jane Houston Jones.

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NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory