{"id":26729,"date":"2021-11-16T15:07:55","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T15:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=57002"},"modified":"2021-11-16T15:24:13","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T15:24:13","slug":"christmas-astronomy-what-to-see-in-the-night-sky-on-25-december","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/christmas-astronomy-what-to-see-in-the-night-sky-on-25-december\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas astronomy: what to see in the night sky on 25 December"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Stuart Atkinson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 16 November 2021 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Christmas is a time when new astronomers are born. A good telescope makes for an excellent Christmas present, and every year as the Sun sets on the 25th December, turkey-stuffed astronomy newcomers unpack their first telescope<\/a> and head outside.<\/p>\n

Yet as new telescope owners stand there beneath the winter sky, their wacky Christmas jumpers hidden beneath thick coats and mighty Orion<\/a> staring down at them, many may be disappointed \u2013 especially if the expectation was to see breathtaking views through their new telescope as good as the Hubble Space Telescope<\/a> and Voyager<\/a> images printed on its box.<\/p>\n

The actual night sky itself might be against them, too. They might want to see Saturn\u2019s rings<\/a>, or the ice caps of Mars<\/a>, but those planets might not be in the sky that night. Disappointment and disillusionment may set in.<\/p>\n

\""A\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
A view of Jupiter and its moon Europa captured on 25 August 2020 by the Hubble Space Telescope. Expect views like this and you will be disappointed! Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M. H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) and the OPAL team.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

It doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Your first night with your new telescope can be a wonderful experience that will make you fall in love with the night sky. Indeed, your Christmas gift can inspire a lifelong interest.<\/p>\n

Here we\u2019ll take you on a short tour across the Christmas night sky, helping you to munch your way through a celestial selection box of cosmic delights that should inspire and help you appreciate the reality of sky-watching with your new telescope.<\/p>\n

A waning gibbous Moon will rise around 22:45UT on Christmas Night 2021, but won\u2019t be properly high in the sky until the early hours of Boxing Day. This means that moonlight shouldn\u2019t disturb your viewing too much.<\/p>\n

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Your first night with a telescope will stay with you forever. Make it a good one! Credit: m-gucci \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Using your first telescope<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, you can\u2019t just swing your telescope around the night sky at random and expect amazing things to appear in the view, and despite what some adverts would have you believe, your new telescope won\u2019t leap from one cool object to another all on its own.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re going to need some help to point it at the galaxies, star clusters and planets you\u2019ve read about for so long.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a bit of extra help, read our guide on how to spend your first night with a telescope<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Astronomy books<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Astronomy books range from spaceflight and cosmology tomes to practical stargazing guides for beginners. Credit: Iain Todd<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

There are many great space and astronomy books<\/a> to help a new telescope owner find their way around the sky. Turn Left At Orion<\/i> by Guy Consolmagno is a classic that has helped beginners over the years (incidentally, you might want to consult Consolmagno\u2019s top 12 astronomy sights for Christmas<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s full <\/span>of easy-to-use star charts that will show you exactly where to find many deep-sky objects. It\u2019s illustrated with realistic sketches instead <\/span>of photographs to show you what you will actually see through your eyepiece.<\/p>\n

There are also several paperback-sized guides to the sky for the year ahead, such as Collins\u2019 Stargazing<\/i>, which features monthly charts and information <\/span>about astronomical events, and of course our own special issue publication, <\/span>The Astronomer\u2019s Yearbook<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you could purchase one online and download it to your device.<\/p>\n

Star charts<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\""Magnitude\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Magnitude is represented on star charts by size: Polaris is brighter than Beta (\u03b2) Ursae Majoris. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

S<\/span>tar charts are maps of the night sky and you will find them in magazines like BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em>, astronomy books and online too. At first glance they can look confusing, covered with dots, lines and bizarre symbols, but are easy to use once you get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scattered through you\u2019ll find the constellations, star clusters<\/a>, galaxies<\/a> and nebulae<\/a> are represented <\/span>by different coloured shapes, each one labelled to help you identify it.<\/p>\n

Find your way around by comparing what\u2019s shown on the chart to what you can see in the real sky above you. You might also want to consult our guide to the best winter constellations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Astronomy smartphone apps<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\""Smartphone\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Smartphone stargazing apps. Left to right: Stellarium; SkySafari; Star Tracker; Mobile Observatory; Heavens-Above<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Many astronomers use their mobile phones and tablets to help them find their way around the sky. There are many astronomy apps available that use GPS to pinpoint the user\u2019s location on Earth and show them what they can see in the night sky above at that time, or any other date or time they choose.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more on this, read our guide to smartphone astronomy apps<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dark-adapted vision<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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A red torch enables you to check charts without ruining dark adapted vision.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Even <\/span>if you and your new instrument are ready to begin touring the Universe, your eyes won\u2019t be. If you go outside a<\/span>nd look through your telescope right away your eyes won\u2019t have had time to get used to darkness, and the view will be disappointing.<\/p>\n

But after a period of \u2018dark adaptation\u2019 your eyes will have gone through both physical and chemical changes t<\/span>hat will enable them to gather more faint starlight, and the views through your scope will be better.<\/p>\n

Be patient, avoid using torches unless it\u2019s a red light, and if you can, turn your phone\u2019s screen red<\/a>. Find out more about preparing your eyes for stargazing with our guide to averted vision<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019re ready to go, let\u2019s get on with our astronomy tour of the Christmas night sky. Spend time taking in our 5 Christmas Night targets, then head back indoors for a turkey sandwich and another cup of mulled wine.<\/p>\n

5 objects to observe on Christmas Night 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1<\/span>

The Moon<\/h3>\n<\/div>

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The Moon may always keep the same face turned to us, but the terminator makes sure that face keeps changing. Image Credit: iStock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The Moon is the most <\/span>obvious first target for every owner of a new telescope, but on Christmas night this year it won\u2019t be climbing very high in the sky until after midnight.<\/p>\n

At high magnification some detail will be visible along the terminator \u2013 the line between the illuminated and unilluminated parts of the Moon\u2019s face, but your best views will be through low magnification eyepieces (you guessed it, ones with a larger number in mm on them).<\/p>\n

As the Moon on 25 December 2021 will be a waning gibbous, you can find out more about what to expect with our guide to observing a gibbous Moon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2<\/span>

The Orion Nebula<\/h3>\n<\/div>

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Can you spot the Orion Nebula below the three belt stars of the Orion constellation? Credit: Manfred Wasshuber\/ CCDGuide.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Beneath Orion\u2019s famous Belt, in the centre of his Sword, lies M42, the Orion Nebula<\/a>. This is a glowing cloud of dust and gas, a \u2018stellar nursery\u2019 1,400 lightyears from Earth, where stars are being born. It\u2019s one of the most beautiful objects in the sky and is visible as a small smudge to the naked eye \u2013 when that sky is dark.<\/p>\n

M42 will rise in the east at around 18:00 UT and will be visible in the south around 23:00UT. See if you can pick out the<\/span> Trapezium, a tiny quartet of pinprick stars at its heart, which can be seen easily with those higher magnification eyepieces<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more advice on observing Orion with your telescope, read our guide to the best targets to see in the Orion constellation<\/a>.<\/p>

3<\/span>

The Pleiades<\/h3>\n<\/div>

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Credit: Stephen Tolley, Liskeard, Cornwall, 19 January 2020<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Probably the most famous star cluster in the sky, the Pleiades<\/a> will be a real \u201cWow!\u201d sight on Christmas Night, visible in the southeast around 19:30 UT.<\/p>\n

At 430 lightyears from Earth, the Pleiades \u2013 also known as \u2018The Seven Sisters\u2019 because of its seven stars that are visible to the naked eye \u2013 is an easy observing target.<\/p>\n

Through your new telescope its myriad stars will glitter like tiny diamonds at low magnification, looking like a miniature Plough, and higher magnifications will fill and even overflow your field of view with a bewildering number of stars, sparkling like chips of shattered ice.<\/p>\n

When you look at the Pleiades on a dark night you\u2019ll see how astonishingly beautiful it is.<\/p>\n

4<\/span>

The Perseus Double Cluster<\/h3>\n<\/div>

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Credit: Bill McSorley<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Lying between the \u2018W\u2019 shape of the constellation Cassiopeia<\/a> and the upside-down \u2018Y\u2019 of Perseus, this deep-sky object will be a stunning sight high in the sky on Christmas night. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even your new telescope\u2019s lowest magnification eyepiece will give you a glorious view of the Double Cluste<\/a>r, looking like two piles of glittering dust shining side by side; while higher magnification will reveal them as containing too many stars to count.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding and observing the Double Cluster helps newcomers understand one of the basics of astronomy; just because two objects look close in the sky doesn\u2019t mean they are \u2013 one of the clusters is much further away than the other.<\/span><\/p>\n

5<\/span>

Sirius<\/h3>\n<\/div>

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This mosaic of stars Rigel, Betelgeuse and Sirius was created by capturing images 60 seconds apart to compare the differences in colour, caused by Earth\u2019s atmosphere splitting the starlight and the process being picked up by the DSLR camera. Credit: Amanda Cross<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Finally we come to Sirius, the brightest star in the sky<\/a>. It\u2019s easy to find \u2013 Orion\u2019s Belt points straight down to it \u2013 and on frosty winter nights it looks like a finely-cut diamond flashing above the treetops.<\/p>\n

Look for it in the south-southeast around 23:00UT just below and to the left of Orion on 25 December.<\/p>\n

You might think that if you swing your new telescope towards it, Sirius will look bigger, but it will still just be a point of light. So why bother?<\/p>\n

Because through your telescope the star\u2019s twinkling will be greatly enhanced, and you\u2019ll see it flashing and sparkling like crazy in red, blue and gold; it\u2019s a lovely sight to see. For more on this, read our guide Why do stars twinkle<\/a>?<\/p>\n

It is also possible to photograph the changing colours of Sirius<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new to astronomy, BBC Sky at Night Magazine is out every month and features beginners\u2019 guides to the best targets to view in the night sky. Find out how to subscribe to BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n

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