What’s up in the sky – Christmas 2010

Fred Barrett | Dec 16, 2010

By Fred Barrett

Photo left: Fred Barrett, courtesy Fred Barrett

Normally in the last column of the year I would write about what to expect in January of next year. But January is quite a few days away, so I thought instead to give you a few reminders of the rich events and objects to watch for in the last weeks of December and the first week of January 2011! Watch for the rest of January’s events in the January 6 column next year!

A total lunar eclipse will occur during the night of December 20/21. The eclipse begins at 1:30 AM EST as Earth’s shadow starts to advance across the Moon. Totality happens at 2:41 AM and lasts until 3:53 AM. After that you can watch Earth’s shadow retreat from the Moon’s disk. Don’t miss this one because another won’t happen until April 14/15, 2014.

Jupiter is still around after sunset in the southwest. It is slowly getting smaller but its brightness is still at a respectable magnitude of -2.4 and it is not difficult to find. Pull out your binoculars and have a look. The sight of its most prominent moons (Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede) strung like a line of pearls on either side and changing position from night to night is fascinating and beautiful!

If you’re still up early New Year’s morning about an hour before sunrise, the waning (brightness decreasing) crescent Moon makes a lovely sight below the searchlight brightness of Venus. On the evenings of January 2nd to 5th and using binoculars or modest telescope, you have a rare opportunity to find the planet Uranus without having to use a star chart. You can see it about ½ degree above and right of Jupiter in a binoculars’ field of view (FOV). At magnitude 5.9, it is dim but can be seen. Be careful not to be confused by a similar looking dim star to the lower right!

On the night of January 3rd, the Quadrantid meteor shower occurs. It is a short shower and peaks this year around 8 PM. The point of origin of the shower is off the end of the handle of the Big Dipper close to the northern horizon. Watch for ‘earthgrazers’ skimming across the horizon.

Earth is at its closest point to the Sun (perihelion) at 2 PM EST on January 3rd. Interesting isn’t it, that the Earth is closest to the Sun during the coldest time of year for us in the North? Of course, it’s summer time in the southern hemisphere. Our change in distance from the Sun as we travel in our orbit has little effect on Earth’s average temperature.

Send me a report of your observations via the Frontenac News or my email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will send you a Star Finder (Planisphere) to help you find your way about the sky. See also www.star-finder.ca where you can download and print out your own star finder compliments of the National Research Council. Not quite as fancy as mine but quite functional.

I hope you enjoyed the picture of the Andromeda Galaxy that appeared with my last column. There is one minor correction to make; it was taken through a 300 mm zoom lens.

Well, that’s a wrap for this year! Merry Christmas and a happy holiday to all and may many clear skies come your way!

If you have questions or suggestions, Fred Barrett may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Beginner’s Observer’s Guide by Leo Enright is available at the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy or by contacting the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada www.rasc.ca/publications, subscriptions for our very own excellent Canadian astronomy magazine, Sky News, are also available from RASC..