- Date: Clear Saturday nights December and January (except
Dec. 26 and Jan. 2) - Time: One hour after sunset for three hours
- Place: UBC Observatory, Geophysics and Astronomy Building,
2219 Main Mall. Enter side door, far left - Parking: Available in the West Parkade. Enter at Gate
6 off Northwest Marine Drive
Just as the holiday season is a time to reunite with family and
friends on Earth, December is a chance to reacquaint yourself with
some old and new friends in the night sky over British Columbia.
And if you want to see some of them close up, come to the UBC Observatory
any clear Saturday night this month or in January.
UBC Physics and Astronomy Asst. Prof. Jaymie Matthews says you
should look high in the southern sky to see Saturn, a planet with
its own set of celestial jewelry — its rings.
As twilight falls, he says you’ll still be able to see the planet
Jupiter in the early evening, shining like a very bright yellowish
star in the southwest.
“Binoculars or a small telescope will reveal the planet’s disc
— 11 times the size of Earth — and its four largest moons, strung
around it like starry pearls,” he says.
Just starting to take a prominent place in the winter sky is the
great hunter Orion, a constellation that stands out because of the
three stars that make up his belt. Matthews says the bright blue
star Rigel can be found in his tunic and the red giant Betelgeuse
in his shoulder.
“The name Betelgeuse is pronounced `Beetle-Juice’ and is derived
from old Arabic for `hairy armpit of the giant,” Matthews says.
Hanging beneath Orion’s belt is his sword, which contains an enormous
gas cloud where new stars are being born right now. Look for Orion
in the southeastern sky.
Later in the evening, trailing behind his master will come Sirius,
`the dog star’ and the Pleiades, a cluster of stars often known
as the Seven Sisters.
“If you want to know what to look for, check the hood ornament
of any Subaru. That’s the Japanese name for the Pleiades cluster,”
Matthews says.
After midnight on Dec. 14, Matthews says you should watch for the
Geminid meteor shower because there is a good chance of seeing some
bright fireballs. He says the moon will be close to a new phase
and the sky should be dark away from the city.
“Under those conditions, the Geminids could generate a few ooohs
and ahhhs,” he says.
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