Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine December 2016

The Sky from
Mid-December
2016 to Mid-
January 2017
by Jim Ulik
What a man had rather were true he more readily believes.
— Francis Bacon
THE CARIBBEAN SKY: FREE SHOW NIGHTLY!
Ursids. The source of these shooting stars will appear to come from Ursa Minor or
Little Bear. This constellation includes Polaris or the North Star and is also known
as the Little Dipper. This shower will be active from December 17th to 26th.
Photographic technology continued to advance through the 1800s. Along with this
came experiments in astrophotography. On December 22nd, 1891 Max Wolf, a pioneer
in that method of finding astronomical objects, discovered the first of more than
200 asteroids. The first asteroid found was designated 323 Brucia and is 22.4 miles
(36 kilometres) in diameter.
Monday, December 26th
Shooting stars associated with the Puppid–Velid meteor shower are expected to be
visible each night from November 17th into January. The source of this shower was
originally from the area between two of the three constellations that make up the
Argo Navis constellation. Those constellations are Puppis (the stern) and Vela (the
sails). This year the shooting stars will appear to come from an area near the
Southern Cross. Look for the Southern Cross to rise after 0200. The maximum rate
of meteors expected to be visible from a dark location is around 15 per hour.
Tuesday, December 27th
Just before sunrise around 0600 you will find a conjunction between Saturn and
the Moon in the eastern sky just above the horizon. The ringed planet is now
100-percent illuminated and situated just below the sliver Moon.
Today also marks the 445th birthday of Johannes Kepler. Born in 1571, Kepler
would eventually develop the laws of planetary motion becoming a key figure in an
era known as the scientific revolution.
—Continued on next page
DECEMBER 2016 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 32
Francis Bacon’s 1620 method of proving knowledge to be true via
doubt and experimentation initiated the scientific method starting
the scientific revolution. Astronomers such as Copernicus, Galileo
and Kepler ran experiments that would either prove or disprove their
hypotheses or theories. A belief in and the understanding of science
and the scientific method build knowledge about the universe.
Science constructs new ideas that illuminate the world around us.
Friday, December 16th
Jupiter and Spica reside in Virgo the Virgin throughout this period.
You can find these bodies just before sunrise in the eastern sky.
Spica is actually a two-star system and 1900 times more luminous
than the Sun. The light emanating from Spica takes about 250 years
to reach Earth.
Sunday, December 18th
The Moon will rise at 2140 on December 17th. As the night progresses
the Moon will slowly approach Regulus, the Heart of the Lion.
The Moon will continue to appear closer to Regulus until the celestial
bodies finally set in the west after sunrise.
Monday, December 19th
The December Leonis Minorids meteor shower is active December
5th through February 4th. The maximum number of meteors radiating
between the constellations Leo and Leo Minor is expected
this evening.
Wednesday, December 21st
Just after the Sun rises this morning it will be positioned
directly over the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere.
The December Solstice or Winter Solstice will occur at 0644 this
morning. The amount of daylight will start increasing tomorrow
as the Sun appears to get higher in the sky for those in the
northern hemisphere.
Thursday, December 22nd
Two days after the third quarter phase the Moon has entered Virgo.
It will be positioned in the eastern sky near Jupiter and Spica over
the next two mornings. You may also see some shooting stars coming
out of the east this morning from the December Leonis Minorids or
the Comae Berenicids meteor showers.
Any meteors coming from the north northeast this morning are the
Johannes Kepler and the laws of planetary motion
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