Night sky guide for December 2014 [1]

The first half of December provides some of the best meteor activity of the year, however, the bright moon will block out all but the brightest meteors. Geminids, the king of the meteor showers, peak on December 13. They will be blocked out by waning gibbous moon to some degree but the Geminids are so bright and numerous that it should still be a good show.

December Solstice will occur at 23:03 UTC on December 21. This will be the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.

Two days later, sky watchers can observe Ursid meteor shower. Ursids are minor meteor shower producing only about 5 - 10 meteors per hour, however, 2014 is one of the best years to observe them as there will be no moonlight to interfere.

• December 6 - Full Moon - 12:27 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Cold Moon because this is the time of year when the cold winter air settles in and the nights become long and dark. This moon has also been known as the Moon Before Yule and the Full Long Nights Moon....