EarthSky News - Dec 16 - Top Stories This Week

December 16 Top Stories This Week by:

Astronomers chart galaxy orbits in Local Supercluster "We are not only visualizing the detailed structure of our Local Supercluster of galaxies, but we are also seeing how the structure developed over the history of the universe." Juno probes depths of Jupiter's Great Red Spot Juno spacecraft data show the Great Red Spot - nearly 1.5 Earths wide - with roots penetrating some 200 miles (300 km) into Jupiter's atmosphere. Awesome Geminid shower? Thank 3200 Phaethon This mysterious rock-comet is the parent body of the Geminid meteor shower and the likely reason the Geminids were so strong in 2017. The rock-comet itself is closest to Earth today. How to see 3200 Phaethon You can't see 3200 Phaethon with the eye alone. But backyard telescopes can pick it up. A grand year for the Geminids With 3200 Phaethon nearby, the 2017 Geminid meteor shower was thought to have a better-than-average chance of producing a rich display. And so it did! Photos here. Solstice coming up December 21 Solstice 2017 arrives on December 21. Everything you need to know. Tonight … See a star that changes its brightness Sheliak is a variable star in the constellation Lyra the Harp.

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? An EarthSky lunar calendar is sure to delight. Or give the gift that gives back! Check out the new colors and designs of our EarthSky Cares Tees. A percentage of proceeds collected will be donated to select organizations.

Tonight … See a star that changes its brightness You can notice Sheliak's brightness changes in a cycle lasting 6.5 days.

Gaia's view of the Large Magellanic Cloud The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), one of the nearest galaxies to our Milky Way, as viewed by ESA's Gaia satellite after its first 14 months of operations. Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

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EarthSky News - Dec 15 - New Star Names

December 15 New Star Names by:

IAU approves 86 more new star names "These professional astronomers are claiming the exclusive right to give 'approved' names to the stars. But the stars - and the sky - belong to all of us." Sirius in many colors When you see bright Sirius low in the sky, you're seeing it shine through an extra thickness of Earth's atmosphere. Then its colorful flashing might surprise you. A grand year for the Geminids The 2017 Geminids were thought to have a better-than-average chance of producing a rich display, since their parent body - a strange rock-comet called 3200 Phaethon - is nearby. And so it was! Photos here. Lengths of lunar months in 2017 Longest lunar month of 21st century (2001 to 2100) starts with December 18 new moon.  Tonight … Cassiopeia, Queen of the north In late December month, Cassiopeia is swinging directly over Polaris, the North Star, at around 7 p.m. local clock time. Solstice coming up December 21 Solstice happens December 21 at 16:28 UTC; translate to your time zone.

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? An EarthSky lunar calendar is sure to delight. Or give the gift that gives back! Check out the new colors and designs of our EarthSky Cares Tees. A percentage of proceeds collected will be donated to select organizations.

Sirius in many colors Amanda Cross in  the UK caught these images of the star Sirius - our sky's brightest star - on December 11. "No color enhancements were made," she wrote. Learn why Sirius is so colorful.

A grand year for the Geminids Scott Kuhn in Chatsworth, Georgia used a fisheye lens to create this image of a curved Geminid meteor on the morning of December 14. In the real sky, the meteor would have appeared in a straight line. Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

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