NS ARE INDICATED ALONG

S D I RE C T I O
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The Evening Sky Map

R I Z r e e k h e r CI RC
H O i c al G ng m on
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t h

EQUATORIAL EDITION
E m y s ter M LE (
CO
D TH t h e F OR
S.
A N s e n ts NORTH edus E XA
a.
AP
N I TH r e pre Polaris MP
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M
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KY
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.S
DECEMBER 2023
E E N G e m RT H
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ED W β e t e RN
FREE* EACH MONTH FOR YOU TO EXPLORE, LEARN & ENJOY THE NIGHT SKY A T or TH
OC . sh E
EL
SKY MAP SHOWS HOW
1) o w SKY
AR ( M 3
Sky Calendar – December 2023
US er
S H E p e MA P
THE NIGHT SKY LOOKS
T y C E P CAM L
JE
C lax ELO
PAR
YN ak
so A
Ga

OB
RO e m
DAL X
EARLY DEC 9 PM
n
da

L
IS
2 Moon near Beehive cluster M44 at 8h UT (morning sky).

A
e
t
μ

h
D rnin

TI
W
N

ro
LATE DEC 8 PM

IT

ES
E

d
S

e G . CEL
o
Moon near Regulus at 5h UT (morning sky).

An
4
δ b

C
ne

EN
IA (Add 1 Hour For Daylight Saving)

t
De

r ea
N
PE

T
g
SKY MAP DRAWN FOR

s e e I ZO
ER ce m b
SIO
4 Mercury at greatest elongation east at 14h UT (21° from Sun,

of
S 39
A LATITUDE OF 0°

R
CA M

D
JU

HO
h
Cluster

t
S
evening sky). Mag. –0.4.

De emi
AND IS SUITABLE

S
Double

NU
T

E
c 1 nid
G
η

TH
U
Ca

A
PE FOR LATITUDES

3
S

R
pe

G
– s

to
e
RS
Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 19h UT (distance

1
4

IG
r1

o f t L E IS
lla

CY
61
Y
UP TO 15°

4
O
EU

ar
Cas

A
4
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e
NORTH OR
S

.
404,346km; angular size 29.6').

y
tor
A

C
A

CI R
R

Pol

he
n
SOUTH OF

E
e

lu
D
x
THIS
Last Quarter Moon at 5:51 UT.

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5

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c

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x

E
GE
e
I

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l

ime
M31

M3
l
γ

en
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M
8
8 Moon near Spica at 17h UT (morning sky).

M3

O
IN
N

st t
Algo

TH E
R
O
l

7
s

M3

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I
W
h

e
6
o
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9 Moon near Venus at 15h UT (42° from Sun, morning

AND
w
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e
e
O

is t h
r

M3
TH E
sky). Mag. –4.1. o
M33

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5
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T h is
I
R

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C OM P

Grea t Squ are

i

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12 New Moon at 23:31 UT. Start of lunation 1249. U

a
g

M1

of Peg asus
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h

γ
al

s
t

Ald Ham

PHI
,
A SS D I R

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14 Moon near Mercury at 6h UT (16° from Sun,

S

SUS
ran IE

ART OF THE SKY DIRECTLY OVERHEA

e

AR

Hy

DEL
γ
d i

M15
evening sky). Mag. 0.6. Jup

ade

PISCES
u

IC

PEGA
IPT
iter
m

ORION
22
ECTION THAT APPEARS ALONG THE BOTT

ECL

s
Cr
-speed meteors.

Enif
64
69
14 Geminid Meteor Shower peaks in a broad
Procyo

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MINO

tel
CANIS

2244
maximum centred at 19h UT. Active December 4–17.

t
cle
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US
Cir
Produces bright, medium-speed meteors at its

se

WEST
EAST

AQUARI
M

peak (up to 80 meteors/hour). The best and most

M2
O

Mi
NOCEROS

σ
ra
reliable of the major annual showers. A Moon-free 2232 CETUS

M42
sky will ensure ideal viewing conditions. Rig
β

el
C a n is M a

M50

w h a le .
16 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 18:44 UT Sat

I S T HE P
urn

7009
ERIDANUS
(distance 367,901km; angular size 32.5').

da
Siriu

ph

t er or
j or is a

Di
s

18 Moon near Saturn at 1h UT (evening sky). Mag. 0.9.

M

E MA P
3
4
OM OF

M46

729

mon s
7

3
FORNAX 25
LE
CA OR

M41
MA

19 First Quarter Moon at 18:39 UT.

prom

ut

OF T H
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NI

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TH E

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21 Asteroid 4 Vesta at opposition at 12h UT. Mag. 6.4.

S

U
LP

Fo

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MA P

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S
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U
22 December solstice at 3:28 UT. The time when the Sun S CO

CE N
N

myt
I

ST SC
IS T
ns te

PR
θ

AU PI
reaches the point farthest south of the celestial

HE
CA

ga
HE
ll a t

S. T
k

tin
SA M

equator marking the start of winter in the Northern

i on

I ME
sen
EA

Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

t h a E DI R

AT r e p r e
DT
NI
US
ST

td

PU

AN
OE
GR
H

22 Moon near Jupiter at 13h UT (evening sky). Mag. –2.7. ir

ep

AI a t i o n
PP

ζ na

PH

ES
ic t

24

Achernar Al
IS
51

Symbols
s t N TH

22 Mercury at inferior conjunction with the Sun at 19h UT. The

l
24
EC

tel
ND
Ca
he

7
TI O

no

ns
7

L2 pu
lar

innermost planet passes into the morning sky.

co
Galaxy

RT
s
g e YOU

ge
CE
ANA
ro

lar
AT

24 Moon near the Pleiades at 10h UT (evening sky). TUC Double Star

ON
f O FA C

a
W
S

S
r io E.

is
AR
E

S
Variable Star
n’ s

us
27 Full Moon at 0:33 UT. tw

PE
o Ce

AP
BE do LMC
IT
GI gs SMC 47 Tuc
AS
Diffuse Nebula
29 Moon near Beehive cluster M44 at 16h UT (morning sky). N
BY
. 2070
ON Planetary Nebula
US IZ
More sky events and links at http://Skymaps.com/skycalendar/ IN
G H OR
TH VO -T O - Open Star Cluster
ES PA ON
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MA O RIZ Globular Star Cluster
PT M H
Th e
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 Easily Seen with the Naked Eye

EQUATORIAL EDITION
DECEMBER 2023
About the Celestial Objects
Listed on this page are several of the brighter, more interesting celestial objects Capella Aur The 6th brightest star. Appears yellowish in color. Spectroscopic binary. Dist=42 ly.
visible in the evening sky this month (refer to the monthly sky map). The objects are Sirius CMa The brightest star in the sky. Also known as the "Dog Star". Dist=8.6 ly.
Procyon CMi Greek name meaning "before the dog" -- rises before Sirius (northern latitudes). Dist=11.4 ly.
grouped into three categories. Those that can be easily seen with the naked eye (that Canopus Car Second brightest star in the sky. 14,000 times more luminous than the Sun. Dist=309 ly.
is, without optical aid), those easily seen with binoculars, and those requiring a δ Cephei Cep Cepheid prototype. Mag varies between 3.5 & 4.4 over 5.366 days. Mag 6 companion.
telescope to be appreciated. Note, all of the objects (except single stars) will Deneb Cyg Brightest star in Cygnus. One of the greatest known supergiants. Dist=1,400±200 ly.
appear more impressive when viewed through a telescope or very large Achernar Eri Brightest star in Eridanus, The River. Arabic name meaning "end of river". Dist=144 ly.
binoculars. They are grouped in this way to highlight objects that can be seen using Castor Gem Multiple star system with 6 components. 3 stars visible in telescope. Dist=52 ly.
Pollux Gem With Castor, the twin sons of Leda in classical mythology. Dist=34 ly.
the optical equipment that may be available to the star gazer. Rigel Ori The brightest star in Orion. Blue supergiant star with mag 7 companion. Dist=770 ly.
Betelgeuse Ori One of the largest red supergiant stars known. Diameter=300 times that of Sun. Dist=430 ly.
Tips for Observing the Night Sky Algol
Fomalhaut
Per
PsA
Famous eclipsing binary star. Magnitude varies between 2.1 & 3.4 over 2.867 days.
Brightest star in Piscis Austrinus. In Arabic the "fish's mouth". Dist=25 ly.
When observing the night sky, and in particular deep-sky objects such as star clusters, Pleiades Tau The Seven Sisters. Spectacular cluster. Many more stars visible in binoculars. Dist=399 ly.
nebulae, and galaxies, it’s always best to observe from a dark location. Avoid direct

CELESTIAL OBJECTS
Hyades Tau Large V-shaped star cluster. Binoculars reveal many more stars. Dist=152 ly.
light from street lights and other sources. If possible observe from a dark location Aldebaran Tau Brightest star in Taurus. It is not associated with the Hyades star cluster. Dist=66.7 ly.
away from the light pollution that surrounds many of today’s large cities. Polaris UMi The North Pole Star. A telescope reveals an unrelated mag 8 companion star. Dist=433 ly.
You will see more stars after your eyes adapt to the darkness—usually about 10 to
20 minutes after you go outside. Also, if you need to use a torch to view the sky map,
Easily Seen with Binoculars
M31 And The Andromeda Galaxy. Most distant object visible to naked eye. Dist=2.5 million ly.
cover the light bulb with red cellophane. This will preserve your dark vision.
M2 Aqr Resembles a fuzzy star in binoculars.
Finally, even though the Moon is one of the most stunning objects to view M38 Aur Stars appear arranged in "pi" or cross shape. Dist=4,300 ly.
through a telescope, its light is so bright that it brightens the sky and makes many of M36 Aur About half size of M38. Located in rich Milky Way star field. Dist=4,100 ly.
the fainter objects very difficult to see. So try to observe the evening sky on moonless M37 Aur Very fine star cluster. Discovered by Messier in 1764. Dist=4,400 ly.
nights around either New Moon or Last Quarter. M41 CMa First recorded observation by Aristotle in 325 BC as "cloudy spot". Dist=2,300 ly.
μ Cephei Cep Herschel's Garnet Star. One of the reddest stars. Mag 3.4 to 5.1 over 730 days.
Mira Cet Famous long period variable star. Mag varies between 3.0 & 10.1 over 332 days.
Astronomical Glossary M39 Cyg May be visible to the naked eye under good conditions. Dist=900 ly.
LMC Dor Large Magellanic Cloud. A neighbouring galaxy of the Milky Way. Dist=180,000 ly.
Conjunction – An alignment of two celestial bodies such that they present the least M35 Gem Fine open cluster located near foot of the twin Castor. Dist=2,800 ly.
angular separation as viewed from Earth. γ Leporis Lep Visible with binoculars. Gold & white stars. Mags 3.6 & 6.2. Dist=30 ly. Sep=96.3".
Constellation – A defined area of the sky containing a star pattern. 2232 Mon A large scattered star cluster of 20 stars. Dist=1,300 ly.
2244 Mon Surrounded by the rather faint Rosette Nebula. Dist=5,540 ly.
Diffuse Nebula – A cloud of gas illuminated by nearby stars. M50 Mon Visible with binoculars. Telescope reveals individual stars. Dist=3,000 ly.
Double Star – Two stars that appear close to each other in the sky; either linked by Cr 69 Ori Lambda Orionis Cluster. Dist=1,630 ly.
gravity so that they orbit each other (binary star) or lying at different distances from M42 Ori The Great Orion Nebula. Spectacular bright nebula. Best in telescope. Dist=1,300 light years.
M15 Peg Only globular known to contain a planetary nebula (Mag 14, d=1"). Dist=30,000 ly.
Earth (optical double). Apparent separation of stars is given in seconds of arc ("). Double Cluster Per Double Cluster in Perseus. NGC 869 & 884. Excellent in binoculars. Dist=7,300 ly.
Ecliptic – The path of the Sun’s center on the celestial sphere as seen from Earth. ζ Phoenicis Phe Eclipsing binary star and double (mag 8). Varies between 3.9 & 4.4 over 1.667 days.
253 Scl Fine, large, cigar-shaped galaxy. Requires dark sky. Member of Sculptor Group.
Elongation – The angular separation of two celestial bodies. For Mercury and Venus
47 Tucanae Tuc Spectacular object. Telescope will reveal stars. Near edge of SMC. Dist=15,000 ly.
the greatest elongation occurs when they are at their most angular distance from the β Tucanae Tuc Complex multiple star. Binoculars show one pair. Telescope required to split primary star.
Sun as viewed from Earth. SMC Tuc Small Magellanic Cloud. Companion galaxy to Milky Way. Requires dark sky. Dist=210,000 ly.
Galaxy – A mass of up to several billion stars held together by gravity.
Telescopic Objects
Globular Star Cluster – A ball-shaped group of several thousand old stars.
γ Andromedae And Attractive double star. Bright orange star with mag 5 blue companion. Sep=9.8".
Light Year (ly) – The distance a beam of light travels at 300,000 km/sec in one year. 7009 Aqr Saturn Nebula. Requires 8-inch telescope to see Saturn-like appendages.
Magnitude – The brightness of a celestial object as it appears in the sky. 7293 Aqr Helix Nebula. Spans nearly 1/4 deg. Requires dark sky. Dist=300 ly.
γ Arietis Ari Impressive looking double blue-white star. Visible in a small telescope. Sep=7.8".
Open Star Cluster – A group of tens or hundreds of relatively young stars. η Cassiopeiae Cas Yellow star mag 3.4 & orange star mag 7.5. Dist=19 ly. Orbit=480 years. Sep=12".
Opposition – When a celestial body is opposite the Sun in the sky. 2070 Dor Tarantula Nebula. A bright nebula located in LMC. A star-forming region.
θ Eridani Eri Striking blue-white double star. Mags 3.2 & 4.3. Visible in a small telescope. Sep=8.2".
Planetary Nebula – The remnants of a shell of gas blown off by a star. β Monocerotis Mon Triple star. Mags 4.6, 5.0 & 5.4. Requires telescope to view arc-shape. Sep=7.3".
Universal Time (UT) – A time system used by astronomers. Also known as Greenwich 2264 Mon Christmas Tree Cluster. Associated with the Cone Nebula. Dist=2,450 ly.
Mean Time. Singapore Standard Time is UT plus 8 hours. σ Orionis Ori Superb multiple star. 2 mag 7 stars one side, mag 9 star on other. Struve 761 triple in field.
M1 Tau Crab Nebula. Remnant from supernova which was visible in 1054. Dist=6,500 ly.
Variable Star – A star that changes brightness over a period of time. M33 Tri Fine face-on spiral galaxy. Requires a large aperture telescope. Dist=2.3 million ly.
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