December’s Celestial Spectacle: Two Meteor Showers and a Brilliant Mercury

Even though we’re in the middle of the darkest days of the year, it’s also an amazing time for stargazing. Here’s what to look out for in the last month of 2023. 

December 4 – Mercury at Greatest Elongation 

On December 4 at 12:26 a.m. EST, the planet Mercury will be at its farthest from the sun. EarthSky reports that Mercury will shine at magnitude -0.3 at its greatest elongation, making it brighter than most stars. If you’re looking for the best viewing, look to the western sky shortly after sunset. 

[Related: A probe destined for Mercury ended up rubbernecking Venus.]

December 13 and 14 – Geminids Meteor Shower Predicted Peak

Get ready for the Geminids meteor shower, where you might catch a view of up to 120 shooting stars per hour at the shower’s peak. This year, the shower is predicted to peak on December 14, but should still be active all night around the dates of December 13 and 14. The moon will not interfere with the Geminids this year, and the shower should start in mid-evening and be highest around 2 a.m.

December 21 – Winter Solstice 

December 21, 2023, marks the winter solstice. The solstice officially arrives on Thursday, December 21, at 10:27 p.m. EST.

On the solstice, one half of the planet is pointed away from the sun and the other half is pointed towards it. The solstice only lasts a moment, when a hemisphere–in this case, the Northern–is tilted as far away from the sun as it can be.

[Related: What is a solstice? And other questions about the shortest day of the year, answered.]

After the solstice, the days will continue to grow longer until we reach the summer solstice in June. 

December 22 and 23 – Ursids Meteor Shower Predicted Peak

In case you miss Geminids, don’t worry! Another meteor shower, the Ursids, is predicted to peak on December 21 and 22.