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Sky Tonight—December 25, See Summer Triangle in west on winter evenings

Courtesy of EarthSky
A Clear Voice for Science
Visit EarthSky at
www.EarthSky.org [1]

[2] [3]


Bright object in south on December evening? it’s the planet Jupiter [4]

In the west shortly after sunset around now, you will find a famous asterism – a noticeable pattern of stars, not a constellation – known as the Summer Triangle [5].

The Triangle consists of three bright stars in three different constellations. They are Vega [6] in the constellation Lyra the Harp, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. It has called the “summer” triangle, because, for us in the northern hemisphere, summer is the season in which these stars soar overhead.

Still, if you look for this pattern this month you will find that, around the time of the winter solstice, the Summer Triangle is descending in the west in early evening. It is getting closer each evening to disappearing into the sunset glare.

What is the bright object up before dawn in December? [7]

[8]Written by Deborah Byrd [9]

 

 


Astronomy Picture of the Day from NASA/JPL [10]

CHANDRA Photo Album [11]

U.S. Naval Observator Astronomical Information cente [12]r

Universe Today [13]

StarDate Online [14]

Sky and Telescope [15]

National Geographic [16]

Space Com [17]

Simostronomy Blog [18]

Amazing Space [19]

The York County Astronomical Society [20]

Scope City [21]

James S McDonnell Planetarium [21]