The December Sky

December Sky Features from Stars and Planets by Ian Ridpath, Starry Night and various internet sites.

I set Starry Night to December 6, 2008 at 10:00 PM viewing from Indianapolis, IN

Auriga

Abbreviation Aur. Highest in the sky at 10:00 pm December to February

Auriga represents the driver of a horse-drawn chariot. According to one myth, he is Erichthonius, a legendary king of Athens. However, there is no explanation in mythology for his depiction in the sky with a goat and its kids on his left arm. The goat is marked by the constellation’s brightest star, Capella (Latin name meaning “she-goat”).


Excerpt from http://www.seds.org/MESSIER/

During the years from 1758 to 1782 Charles Messier, a French astronomer (1730 - 1817), compiled a list of approximately 100 diffuse objects that were difficult to distinguish from comets through the telescopes of the day. Discovering comets was the way to make a name for yourself in astronomy in the 18th century -- Messier's first aim was to catalog the objects that were often mistaken for comets.
Fortunately for us, the Messier Catalog became well known for a much higher purpose, as a collection of the most beautiful objects in the sky including nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. It was one of the first major milestones in the history of the discovery of Deep Sky objects, as it was the first more comprehensive and more reliable list: Only four or five objects were initially missing because of data reduction errors, which could be figured out later though. Today's versions of the catalog usually include also later additions of objects observed by Charles Messier and his collegial friend, Pierre Méchain, but not included in his original list. The study of these objects by astronomers has led, and continues to lead, to important, incredible discoveries such as the life cycles of stars, the reality of galaxies as separate 'island universes,' and the possible age of the universe.
The purpose of these web pages is to provide a complete guide to the 110 objects recognized as the standard Messier catalog. More importantly, we would like to generate interest in astronomy, the night sky and the universe beyond us, and to encourage a sense of wonder and exploration. We also hope that these pages may be useful as a reference for amateur astronomers.
As you look East above the horizon, the December sky will introduce you to a few of these Deep Sky Objects:

M35 (Gemini) Alt 43° AZ 93° a large and bright open cluster

M37, (Auriga) Alt 51° AZ 85° this naked eye cluster is a joy to observe an undoubtedly the best open cluster in Auriga.

M38 (Auriga) Alt 57° AZ 83° just visible with the naked eye and easy to see with binoculars.

The Hyades, (Taurus) Alt 58° AZ 129° a large, loose, V-shaped star cluster easily visible to the naked eye.

M45 (The Pleiades) (Taurus) Alt 70° AZ 136° also easy to see with the naked eye.


December Meteors

The Geminids reaching a maximum on December 13th

Go to this site for more information on the Geminids: http://meteorshowersonline.com/geminids.html