The waxing gibbous moon will block out most of the fainter meteors this year. But the Geminids are so numerous and bright that this could still be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.
The Geminids is the king of the meteor showers, and it is thought to be intensifying every year. Recent showers have seen 120–160 multicolored meteors per hour under optimal conditions, generally around 02:00 to 03:00 local time.
These meteors are the debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. The shower runs annually from December 7-17. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. The morning of the 15th could also be nearly as active this year. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
In the northern hemisphere, this full moon was known by Native American tribes as the Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark. This moon has also been known as the Long Nights Moon and the Moon Before Yule.
In the southern hemisphere, let’s call this the Full Black Swan Moon. In December, black swans move in large numbers to the sheltered waters as the freshwater wetlands dry up. It might also be The Full Swan Moon to apply to a variety of similar birds. In some regions this is also known as the Full Seal Moon making note of the Seals that use the expanded beaches to lay in the sun and warm themselves from the cold ocean waters.
The nearly full moon will be a problem this year, blocking all but the brightest meteors. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights.
The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The shower runs annually from December 17-25. It peaks this year on the the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
This marks the beginning of winter (in the northern hemisphere) and the beginning of summer (in the southern hemisphere.) The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, respectively, in the sense that the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a minimum for the year. Of course, daylight saving time means that the first Sunday in April has 23 hours and the last Sunday in October has 25 hours, but these human meddlings with the calendar and do not correspond to the actual number of daylight hours.
If you live in the southern hemisphere, this is your Summer Solstice, and good cause for celebrating the longest day of the year.