Romantic evening in sight tonight 18 December, when the splendid conjunction Moon-Marsvisible to the naked eye if the weather is good. The show could then be surrounded by shooting stars: in fact two swarms will be at the peak just two evenings later (even if disturbed by the Moon), the Lincids and the Ursids.
As the UAI explains, on the night of December 18th we will see the Moon and the red planet in the same constellation, Cancer, forming a truly wonderful “kiss” (in the map the sky of December 18, 2024 at approximately 10.00 pm).
And it doesn’t end here, because two showers of shooting stars await the peak just two evenings later (the night between 20 and 21 December). First of all the Lincidswhose radiant, i.e. the point from which the shooting stars appear to start, will be visible all night, culminating around 3.30 am at almost 85° above the horizon and which will be favorable for observation at least from the end of evening twilight until midnight.
Almost at the same time, even the most famous ones will reach maximum activity Ursidsprobably linked to the comet 1790 II Mechain / Tuttle. For them too, the radiant will be visible all night, reaching its greatest height in the morning twilight at over 50° above the horizon. And even in this case the observation will be more favorable from the end of evening twilight until around midnight.
Don’t miss it!
Sources: UAI / UAI meteors
