Mon Dec 22, 2025 WINTER’S BEGINNING AT NEWGRANGE
There’s a place in Ireland called Newgrange, but there isn’t anything new about it – in fact, it’s literally as old as the hills, being a hill itself. Five thousand years ago, the Irish built a giant earth mound, over an acre across, and surrounding it they set up great stones. Ancient tomb, ancient temple, Newgrange probably served both these functions. And like Stonehenge in England, Newgrange is astronomically aligned. For a few days before and after the winter solstice - the beginning of winter - sunlight travels through a roof box or window over the main doorway. The shaft of sunlight travels all the way down a long, narrow corridor, until it lights up a small chamber at the center of the mound. It happened long ago, and it happens now.
Tue Dec 23, 2025 NAME THAT CONSTELLATION – DECEMBER
Can you identify the 40th largest constellation? It is bordered on the north by Aquarius and Aquila; on the south by Microscopium and the Southern Fish, on the west by Sagittarius; and on the east by Aquarius again. This constellation lacks brilliant stars, but a scattering of 2nd magnitude stars trace out a wedge shape. In myth it represents the god Pan, who taught people how to play the flute, and the conch, a favorite of Floridians. When a dragon attacked Pan, he grew a fish’s tail, jumped into a river and swam away. Tonight the new crescent moon is within its borders. Can you name this star figure, the tenth constellation of the zodiac? The answer is Capricornus, the Sea Goat, visible in the southwest after sunset.
Wed Dec 24, 2025 THE MOON AND THE PLANETS ON CHRISTMAS EVE
This Christmas eve the moon can be found above the southwestern horizon after sunset. It is in its new crescent phase, and over the next week as the month of December draws to a close it will drift eastward through the sky, waxing toward first quarter and new gibbous – but the moon won’t be full again until early January in the new year. Tonight the moon is between the venerable constellations of Capricornus and Aquarius, while to the east, the planet Saturn appears as a yellow-tinted star-like object below the western fish of Pisces. In the east the constellation Orion the Hunter is rising, and near the horizon the planet Jupiter will shine brightly among the stars of Gemini. The early winter sky is beautiful tonight.
Thu Dec 25, 2025 THE MAGI
Who were the Magi? We think they were Babylonian astrologers who may have witnessed a triple conjunction, three separate passings of the planet Jupiter and the star Regulus, that took place during 3 and 2 BC. Jupiter wanders against the background of constellations over time, caused by the combined motions of Jupiter and the earth as they orbit the sun. Regulus, in the constellation Leo the Lion, was the signal star of the Babylonian king. Jupiter’s appearance near Regulus may have set the Magi on their course toward Bethlehem to seek out a new king. Tonight, Jupiter is a bright star-like object high in the eastern sky at sunset, to the west of Regulus, between the constellations Gemini the Twins and Cancer the Crab.
Fri Dec 26, 2025 CRESCENT MOON AND SATURN TOGETHER
Tonight you can find the planet Saturn by using the moon. This early evening, if skies are clear, you will find the moon in its fat, new crescent phase in the southwestern sky. Just below the moon and a little to the east of it, you should find a fairly bright, slightly yellow-tinted star. That’s Saturn. While the two may seem to be about to run into each other, the moon is much closer to us, a couple of hundred thousand miles out; Saturn is roughly 859 million miles away. Binoculars will let you see the moon’s maria which are dark basaltic lava basins and a few craters. But Saturn will look like a little blob of light and there won’t be enough magnification to see its rings, which tonight are almost edge on as we see them from earth.
