December 2024 will see a rare “Black Moon,” a term given to the second new moon in a calendar month.
second new moon As of December 30, 5:27 PM ET (2227 GMT) U.S. Naval Observatorytwo days after the waning moon passes mercury In the predawn sky.
The second new moon is sometimes called “black moon“as the two full moons in a month are sometimes called”blue moon“—Though none of this is really an astronomical term.
When does the new moon occur? sun and moon Sharing the same celestial body, this position is also called a conjunction. During this phase, you cannot see the Moon from Earth because the illuminated side is facing away from us; the crescent moon is only visible during a solar eclipse.
New moon nights are a boon to both professional and amateur astronomers. The lack of a bright moon means darker objects in the sky are easier to see. This is especially true in the winter across much of North America, where in addition to not having the interference of the moon, the air tends to be drier, allowing for better views through telescopes.
Mercury conjunction
On December 28 at 11:24 pm Eastern Time, the Moon will be conjunct Mercury; the angle between them will be approximately 6 degrees. The event itself is not visible from the United States. However, in New York City, Mercury will rise at 5:38 AM on December 28 and the Sun will rise at 6:48 AM. Looking toward the eastern horizon I can see Mercury and the Moon, both about 6 degrees high; the Moon will appear as an elongated crescent to the right of Mercury. Spotting the two is a challenge due to their close proximity to the horizon, but one can use the moon to determine direction.
To see the conjunction, you must go east; in Cairo, for example, the conjunction occurs at 6:24 a.m. local time on December 29, According to In-the-sky.org. Sunrise is at 6:50 AM, but Mercury rises at 5:13 AM and the Moon at 5:33 AM. 13 degrees.
Viewing is slightly better from Cape Town, as summer in the Southern Hemisphere means the sun rises earlier, at 5:36 am, so the conjunction occurs after sunrise. Mercury rises at 4:12 am local time and the moon rises at 3:48 am.
visible planets
Mercury will rise at 5:45 a.m. in New York on the night of the new moon, December 31, and will be clearly visible in the dawn sky. Sunrise is not until 7:20 am to 6:45 am. Mercury is about 9 degrees high in the southeast—difficult to see with a flat horizon and clear conditions, but not impossible.
In the evening, around six o’clock in the afternoon, Venus and saturn will be in the southwest sky at 22 degrees and 35 degrees respectively. In New York, Venus sets at 8:27 pm and Saturn sets at 9:57 pm. At the same time, Jupiter is in the east, about halfway up the zenith and 43 degrees from the horizon; the planet will be located above the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. To the left of Aldebaran, contrast between the two – Aldebaran is redder than Taurus Jupiter – Make them easy to spot. Jupiter sets at 5:26 a.m. on December 31 and Mars rises at 6:07 p.m., reaching an altitude of 20 degrees above the eastern horizon by 8 p.m.; it is visible until sunrise.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the days are long—at the latitude of Buenos Aires, the sky doesn’t get dark until around 9 p.m. (the sunset there on December 30 is 8:09 p.m.), and the sunrise is also very long. Morning; 5:43 amam in Buenos Aires. Before dawn on December 31, Mercury rose at 4:18 a.m. Like the northern hemisphere, Mercury’s altitude was only about 7 degrees by 5 a.m.
On December 30, just like in the Northern Hemisphere, people will see Venus and Saturn in the west, with Venus closer to the horizon and Saturn above and to the right (towards the north). In Buenos Aires, Venus sets at 10:54 pm and Saturn sets at 11:44 pm. From mid-south latitudes, the planet appears to be below Aldebaran; Jupiter sets at 4:00 a.m. on December 31. By 11:30 p.m., the temperature in the northeastern part of the Red Planet was just 18 degrees.
stars and constellations
In January, the winter constellations are in full swing for northern hemisphere observers. Around 6 p.m. OrionThe Hunter is just above the eastern horizon, and its stars can be seen emerging as the sky darkens. orion face Taurusabove the constellation Hunter (the constellation is actually to the west and north) in the evening. One can see the Hyades, a cluster of bright stars that is the “face” of the Bull.
Looking to the left, just above Orion’s head, you can see Auriga the Charioteer. To find it, look for Orion’s Belt, then Betelgeuse, which is the hunter’s right shoulder (his left shoulder from the perspective of a ground observer). Betelgeuse is easy to identify because of its distinct reddish-orange color.
Looking almost straight up from Betelgeuse, one will see Aldebaran, another orange star to the right of Jupiter that will be slightly brighter and emit a steady light; if you can see the star twinkling, you You will find that Jupiter does not twinkle; label it as a planet. Draw a straight line from Aldebaran through Jupiter, and you’ll reach the middle of the constellation Auriga, eventually encountering a fainter star called Mencalinan, or Beta Auriga. South of Mencallina is Capella, which is significantly brighter and yellowish-white in color.
At about 9 pm on December 30, Orion’s “hounds”, Canis Major and Canis Minor, have left the horizon and are located in the southeast. Canis Major is located below Orion (to the south and east of Orion), while Canis Minor is to the east (to the right of Orion, to the observer’s left). Canis Major, the constellation of the Big Dog, contains Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Looking to the left above Sirius, one will see Procyon, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Minor. Procyon, Sirius and Betelgeuse in Orion form the Winter Triangle, which is easy to see even in light-polluted areas of cities and suburbs.
At 11 p.m., the Lion in Leo is fully risen; one can spot it by looking for Sirius, which is now in the south-southeast. Turn left (east) and up; one will see Procyon. From Procyon continue to the left, slightly downward, until facing almost due east; one should be able to see Regulus, or Alpha Leo, also known as Cor Leonis, the Heart of the Lion. Regulus is at the base of the Sickle-shaped star cluster, the head and mane of Leo. Look towards the horizon and to the left and you will encounter the lion’s tail. By this time of night, Orion is fully “upright,” with the band of stars forming a line from east to west, tilting slightly upward; it is easier to see the shape of Orion’s shoulders and legs. On the lower right side of the belt is a bright blue-white star; that is Rigel, the foot of Orion.
If the local city lights are not too bright, one can spot a fainter star to the upper right of Rigel; this is the starting point of Eridani (the river) and this star is called Cursa or Beta Eridani because it is the constellation The second brightest star. Achernar, the brightest star in Eridanus, is not visible north of 33 degrees north latitude. In the continental United States, this means must be located in one of the Gulf Coast states, Arizona or the southern half of New Mexico, or San Diego.
For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, January is the month when the three constellations of Puppis, Carina and Vela (along with the Argonauts, the famous ship of Jason and the Argonauts) change in the sky. The period when dark hour rises in the southeast. Since it’s summer in the south, the sky won’t be completely dark until around 9pm (civil twilight in Buenos Aires ends at 8:38pm), at which point in the northeastern sky one will see a “Inverted” Orion, with the stars above Betelgeuse’s belt, which lies below and to the right.
Meanwhile, Rigel is above and to the left, and this time, as one follows the river from Cusa, one passes through the sky through the zenith to the point 64 degrees southeast, known as Achnar ( Achernar). If one uses Betelgeuse and Sirius As a “pointer” one can draw a line between them to the south (this would be to the right), and above this line is bright Canopus, the brightest star in the constellation Carina and the keel of the ship, to the southeast About 47 degrees high. Between Canopus and Sirius is a cluster of seven fainter stars that form a long, foot-like shape. That’s Puppis, the stern deck. Looking south (to the right), you can see the ring of stars known as Vela.
Turning a little further south – to the right – one can see the Southern Cross, which covers an area between 6 and 12 degrees south-southeast. From the latitude of Buenos Aires, the crossing never sets; at this time, it is rising from a low point above the southern horizon.
Want to take advantage of the new moon to see or photograph incredible sights in the night sky? Be sure to check out our Your guide to the best telescopes for observing the planets and our more general guide best binoculars and best telescope. If you’re interested in capturing your own impressive night sky images, we’ve got a guide How to Photograph the Night Sky, How to photograph planets and best advice astrophotography camera and The best lenses for astrophotography.