| | | December 13 Geminids,
Friday the 13th,
Mars | | | |
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 | | View larger. | Look closely along the line of white dots. A faint dust trail is visible in places where the dots are omitted. This dust trail - left behind by 3200 Phaethon, parent body for the Geminid meteor shower - was captured for the first time by a camera called WISPR aboard the Parker Solar Probe. Image via Brendan Gallagher/ Guillermo Stenborg/ U.S. Naval Research Lab. | | |
| Astronomers spy Geminid meteors' dust trail in space | | The 2019 Geminid meteor shower is happening now, and it peaks this weekend. As you may know, meteors in annual showers like the Geminids are the result of Earth's encounter with trails of dust in space, left behind mainly by comets. The dust enters our atmosphere and vaporizes, producing the streaks of light we see as meteors or shooting stars. This week, astronomers at the U.S. Naval Research Lab held a press conference to discuss an actual image of a dust trail (above) left behind in space by the asteroid that spawned the Geminid meteor shower. It's none other than mysterious 3200 Phaethon, an object of great interest and speculation. Read more. | | | Geminid meteors to peak this weekend | | Best morning is likely Saturday, but try Sunday, too. Both mornings will feature a bright moon. The shower is best around 2 a.m. Try watching from late evening until dawn. The moon is in the way. Read more. | | | | | Why is Mars sometimes bright and sometimes faint? | | In 2018, Mars was a blazing red dot of flame in our night sky for several months. In 2019, Mars was mostly faint. It's been hardly noticeable in our sky. Why? Why is Mars bright in some years, but faint in others? And what are the prospects for Mars in 2020? Read more. Want to see Mars this weekend? Check out the bottom chart, below. | | | | | |
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|  | | Geminid meteors to peak this weekend | Talk about bad luck! 🙂 Tonight's moon is right in front of the constellation Gemini, near the point from which the Geminid meteors will be radiating. Still, you might see some of the brighter meteors. Read more. | | | | | |
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 | | Before sunup … Watch for Mars and Zubenelgenubi | This week has been a great opportunity to see Mars ahead of its banner year in 2020. Did you see Mars above Zubenelgenubi - Libra's alpha star - earlier this week? By Saturday morning, you'll find Mars below this star in the east before dawn. The star name rhymes with Obi-Wan Kenobi of Star Wars. The nearness of this star will help you notice Mars. Then watch the Red Planet in 2020, as it brightens dramatically. Read more. | | |
