December 2024
Friday December 13 – Saturday December 14
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The Geminid meteor shower will reach its peak.
Caused by debris from an asteroid, the Geminids are one of the strongest and most popular meteor showers each year. This shower is best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, but observers south of the Equator can also witness the show.
Like the Leonids last month, the Geminids peak during a nearly full moon, which may wash out the light from fainter streaks in the sky. Here’s what you need to know about watching meteor showers.
Saturday December 21 – Sunday December 22
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The Ursid meteor shower will reach its peak.
A winter solstice light show, meteors from the Ursids appear near the Little Dipper, which is part of the constellation Ursa Minor.
Only skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere will have a chance of seeing this shower. The moon will be half full, making streaks in the sky even more challenging to spot. Here’s what you need to know about watching meteor showers.
Saturday December 21
- All Day
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The winter solstice.
It’s the scientific start to winter in the Northern Hemisphere, when this half of the world tilts away from the sun. Read more about the solstice.
Monday December 30
- All Day
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Rocket Lab may launch a small probe to Venus.
In what could be the first private mission to another planet, the company Rocket Lab is sending a Photon spacecraft toward Venus, where it will fire a small probe to briefly study the toxic world’s atmosphere.
Event details and information on how to add events to your personal calendar can be found on the New York Times website.