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SUNSET PLANETS: When the sun sets on Sunday, Dec. 11th, you've got to go outside and look. In the south, Venus is shining at its maximum brightness for all of 2005. (Through a telescope, Venus appears to be a tiny crescent--very pretty.) And in the east, Mars and the Moon are having a close encounter. Don't miss it: sky map.
HOUR OF THE GEMINIDS: The 2005 Geminid meteor shower peaks on Dec. 13th and 14th. Bad timing. The glaring almost-full Moon will be out on those nights, wiping out all but the brightest meteors. There is, however, one hour when the shower can be seen in full force. (continued below)
Right: Geminid meteors over Texas in 2004. Credit: Jason A. C. Brock. [gallery]
Between about 5 AM and dawn (local time) on Dec. 13th, the Moon will be at or below the horizon, briefly leaving the sky dark for Geminid meteors. If you're awake and watching, you might see dozens of shooting stars. [sky map]
EXTRA: Too much moonlight? If you can't see the Geminids, try listening to them via meteor radar: live audio.
FALSE AURORAS: With an extreme cold wave sweeping across the United States, reports have come pouring in of colorful lights in the sky. In Grand Forks, North Dakota, Dean Smith spotted some on Dec. 6th:
These are false auroras, also known as "light pillars" -- luminous columns caused by manmade lights hitting snow or ice crystals in the air. Look for them after a light snowfall. False auroras can be almost as pretty as the real thing.
RETURNING SUNSPOT: Remember sunspot 822? Last month it was huge, and photogenic until the sun's rotation carried it out of view. Now sunspot 822 is back. It's peeking over the sun's eastern limb en route to a full return. Is it still a beauty? Stay tuned.