Skywatch Line for Monday, and Tuesday, December 2nd and 3rd, written by Joe Slomka

This is the Skywatch Line for Monday, and Tuesday, December 2nd and 3rd, written by Joe Slomka.

The Sun sets at 4:22 PM; night falls at 6:03. Dawn begins at 5:28 AM and ends with the Sun rising at 7:09.

Sagittarius presents the Moon on both nights. Monday’s one-day past New Moon rises at 8:51 AM, by 1 PM it is 18° high in the South, 3% illuminated, appears 30 arc-seconds in size and sets at 5:08 PM. Tuesday’s rises at 9:46 AM, by 1 PM it is 17° high, same size but 8% lit and sets at 6:09 PM.

Venus also lies in Sagittarius, rises at 10:30 AM, highest at 2:55 PM, blazes with minus 4th magnitude, 17 arc-seconds and sets at 7:25 PM. Venus arrives at greatest extension; Tuesday finds it 15° from the Moon.

Comet C/2023 A3 is rapidly fading; it rises at 7:58 AM, highest at 2:17 PM and sets at 8:37 PM. By 7 PM, it shines with 9th magnitude and 17° high in the West.

Saturn, in Aquarius, rises at 12:39 PM, 1st magnitude, 17 arc-seconds, highest at 6:05 PM, 37° at 7 PM and sets at 11:32 PM; Saturn’s famous rings open slightly. Neptune, 14° from Saturn, rises at 1:07 PM, 7th magnitude, 2 arc-seconds highest at 6:56 PM, 45° high and sets at 12:50 AM.

Uranus shares Taurus with Jupiter. Uranus rises at 3:22 PM, 5th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds, 66° highest at 10:34 PM and sets at 5:53 PM. Southern Jupiter, 22° from Uranus, rises at 4:40 PM, glimmering with minus 2nd magnitude, large 48 arc-seconds, 69° highest at Midnight, and sets at 7:38 AM. Monday sees the Great Red Spot ( a giant storm) begins crossing Jupiter at 10:09 PM; Wednesday, one can witness Jovian moon Europa begin transiting the planet at 3 AM and end at 5:45 AM; meanwhile, the Great Red Spot appears at 3:56 AM.

Finally, Mars, in eastern Cancer, rises at 8:16 PM, shines with zero magnitude, 11 arc-seconds, 93% lit and 49° high by Midnight and sets at 11:07 AM.

By midnight, both Orion and Canis Major, the mighty hunter and his dog, are well up. The distinct star pattern guaranteed that Orion would be considered a god, hero, or both. Orion was such a prolific hunter that the gods feared he would exterminate all animals; they sent the stealthy Scorpion to sting and kill Orion. The gods repented right after Orion’s death; they placed him in the sky, along with his faithful dog. The gods also placed the Scorpion in the sky, but at opposite ends; the constellation Scorpius sets as Orion rises.

Skies Joe Slomka