📝 by Steven Burr

Comet C/A6 Lemmon - photo taken on 25 Sep 2025 by Steven Burr

The Moon

The waxing gibbous moon crosses in front of the star cluster Pleiades in the early evening hours of the 3rd. The Full Cold Moon arrives on 4th of December. In accordance with the Farmer’s Almanac, the name originates from the Mohawks indicating the frigid conditions during this month of the year as cold weather descends upon us. Early in the morning hours of the 10th, an occultation of the waning gibbous moon and Regulus will occur in the constellation of Leo. The last quarter moon arrives on the 11th followed by a new moon on the 20th. For those away from light pollution, now is the time to get outside and enjoy the grandeur of the Milky Way arching overhead. On the 27th we have the first quarter moon and the month ends off with the moon once again passing within 1° of the star cluster Pleiades in the early hours of the 31st.

The Planets

Venus and Mars are too close to the sun to be observed. However, Jupiter and Saturn remain prime for viewing in the evening hours. On the evenings of the 6th and 7th, Jupiter and the Moon shadow each other across the night sky. Saturn and the waxing crescent Moon pass within 2° of each other on the evening of the 26th December.

Meteor Showers

The Geminids Meteor Shower. Peaking on the 13th/14th of December, this meteor shower is possibly one of the best meteor showers with an estimated 120 meteors per hour at its peak. Luckily, there will be a waning crescent moon which will not interfere with this event. Look towards the constellation of Gemini in the early morning hours of the 14th for best viewing. The Geminids Meteor shower is thought to originate from dust debris left by asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

• The Ursids Meteor Shower. This meteor shower peaks on the evening of the 23rd/24th of December. Again we luck in, the waxing crescent moon sets at 7:30 pm so as not to interfere with our viewing. Not as active has the Geminids, we expect to see only 10 meteors per hour. To catch a glimpse of some meteors, wait till the moon has set and look to the North in the constellation of Ursa Minor. The origins of this meteor shower are attributed to the 8P/Tuttle comet.

Winter Solstice

In the Quinte area, the winter solstice arrives at 10:03 am on December 21st. In comparison to the summer solstice, the day is 6 hours and 38 minutes shorter and thus, our shortest day of the year. The winter solstice occurs when the earth’s northern pole reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun. Please note, the days will only get longer from here on in!

Constellation Auriga

Auriga - Urania's Mirror 1825

Auriga the charioteer, is a noticeable winter constellation located on the plane of the Milky Way. According to Greek mythology, it is the hero Erichthonius who is thought to have invented the four-horse chariot. To honour this splendid achievement, Zeus placed him among the constellations. However, the origins of this constellation go back in time even further. Babylonian star-lore already identified this constellation as the Charioteer prior to the Greeks. The chariot’s placement in the sky is probably due to the revolution in warfare that it brought to the preceding Sumerian period and the subsequent value placed on it.

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References (for December and January 2025 articles):

Boeckmann, Catherine, Full Moon Names 2025 [online]. Almanac, updated January 2025 [cited 3 January 2025]. Available from: https://www.almanac.com/full-moon-names

Edgar, James S. ed., RASC Observer’s Handbook 2025, ed. by James S. Edgar (Marquis Book Printing, 2024)

Edgar, James S. ed., RASC Observer’s Handbook 2026, ed. by James S. Edgar (Marquis Book Printing, 2025)

Geminids Meteor Shower 2025 [online], Timeandddate, [cited 29 January 2025], Available from: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/geminids.html

Hard, Robin, Eratosthenes & Hyginus: Constellation Myths (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015)

Mortillaro, Nicole, RASC 2025 Night Sky Almanac (Richmond Hill: Firefly Books, 2024)

Quadrantids Meteor Shower 2026 [online], Timeanddate, [cited 27 October 2025], Available from: https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/quadrantids.html

Ursids Meteor Shower 2025 [online], Timeanddate, [cited 29 January 2025], Available from:  https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/ursids.html

White, Gavin, Babylonian Star-Lore: An Illustrated Guide to the Star-Lore & Constellations of Ancient Babylonia (London: Solaria Publications, 2014)