Yogyakarta – At the end of 2023 there will be many astronomical phenomena in the sky. Compared to previous months, December is the month with the highest frequency of meteor showers, namely eight times.
Through the Instagram account @lapan_ri, the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space uploaded various kinds of celestial phenomena that will occur in December 2023. These events will occur in different time periods. Check out the complete list below.
What sky phenomena will there be in December 2023?
December 2: Phoenicid Meteor Shower
Phoenicid is a meteor shower that originates from the constellation Phoenix, especially near the star Alfa Eridani in the constellation Eridanus. This meteor shower has its point of origin in this region and is caused by residual dust from comet 289P/Blanpain, which orbits the sun with a period of approximately 5.18 years.
December 8: Puppid-Velid Meteor Shower
The Puppid-Velid meteor shower originates from the remaining dust from comet 96P/Machholz. Every hour, around 10 meteors will enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The intensity in Indonesia is around 6.3-8.33 meteors per hour.
December 10: Sigma-Hydrid Meteor Shower
This meteor shower becomes active in early to mid-December and produces only low levels of activity. However, during its two-week activity period, Sigma-Hydrid produced a fairly large number of meteors. The peak occurred on December 10.
December 10: December Monocerotid Meteor Shower
Still on the same date, the December Monocerotid meteor shower will also occur with an intensity in Indonesia of only 2.8-3.0 meteors per hour. This meteor shower is estimated to occur every year around December 5 to December 20.
December 13: New Moon Phase
The new moon phase occurs when the entire side of the moon’s surface facing the earth does not reflect sunlight. In this phase, the moon does not receive direct light from the sun so it appears dark and cannot be seen from the earth.
December 15: Geminid Meteor Shower
Quoted from the NASA website, the Geminid meteor shower, which reaches its peak in mid-December every year, is considered one of the most anticipated annual meteor showers. At its peak, up to 134 Geminid meteors could be seen per hour in Indonesia.
December 16: Coma Berenicid Meteor Shower
Berenicid Coma is a minor meteor shower phenomenon whose radiant point is located near the star Beta Leonis. The peak of this meteor shower will occur on December 16 2023 with an intensity of 2.5-2.9 meteors per hour.
December 20: December Leonis Minorid Meteor Shower
Including a class II minor meteor shower, this meteor will be active from December 5 to February 4 with its peak occurring on December 20 this year. The intensity is relatively small, namely 3.8-4.6 meteors per hour.
December 22: December Solstice
The solstice is a phenomenon when the sun crosses the north and south equinox lines which are imaginary lines on the globe at latitudes 23.44 degrees N and 23.44 degrees South latitude. The solstice causes the change of seasons in subtropical countries and high latitudes.
December 23: Ursid Meteor Shower
The Ursids are a small meteor shower with around 0-3 meteors visible per hour. The meteor shower or point of origin in the sky comes from Ursa Minor, but these meteors will appear and can be seen throughout the sky.
December 27: Full Moon Phase
The full moon phase is a condition when the entire surface of the moon facing the earth reflects sunlight. This year, the peak will occur at 07.33 WIT, 08.33 WITA and 09.33 WIT.
So, that’s the schedule for astronomical phenomena that will occur in the sky in December 2023. Hopefully it’s useful, Lur!
This article was written by Jihan Nisrina Khairani, a participant in the Merdeka Campus Certified Internship Program at detikcom.
Watch Video “Perseid Meteor Shower Phenomenon in the Balkan Sky“
(rih/me)
2023-11-29 10:04:07
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