| Last full moon of the decade | | | The last full moon of 2019 - and the last full moon of the decade - is happening now, around the globe. It appeared more full last night for us in the Americas than it will tonight. But, for everywhere worldwide, it'll look round and full in Thursday night's sky, too. Like every full moon, December's full moon has its own special characteristics. At northerly latitudes, we call it the Cold Moon or Long Night Moon ... it's like a wonderful nocturnal sun, giving us a much-appreciated reprieve in the season of diminished daylight. Read more about this full moon. | | |
| All you need to know: This weekend's Geminid meteor shower | | | The Geminid meteor shower - one of the highlights of the year for stargazers - will peak tomorrow and Saturday morning. The moon will be just past full, and it'll be lighting up the sky during the peak hours for meteor-watching (around 2 a.m. no matter where you are on the globe). The Geminids tend to be bright, though! So we expect some meteors to overcome the moonlit glare. Read more. | | |
| Amazon fires quickening glacier melt in Andes | | | As the rainforest burns, it releases so-called black carbon into the air. Not only does this smoke cause health issues and contribute to global warming, but a growing number of scientific studies suggest it also contributes directly to the melting of high-mountain glaciers. Read more. | | |
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