Dec 20 - Goodbye, Saturn's Rings

December 20 Goodbye, Saturn's Rings by:

Here's how Saturn might look in the next hundred million years. The innermost rings might disappear first, as they rain onto the planet. In this scenario, they'd be very slowly followed by the outer rings. Image via NASA/Cassini/James O'Donoghue. Goodbye to Saturn’s rings Scientists have long said that Saturn's glorious rings may be only temporary. New research confirms a "ring rain" onto Saturn that'll leave the planet ringless in 100 to 300 million years. Watch a video. December full moon falls within a day of the solstice The last time the December solstice and full moon happened less than a day apart was in 2010, and the next time will be 2029. Read more. The solstice is December 21 at 22:23 UTC. The full moon is December 22 at 17:49 UTC. What are your chances for a white Christmas? For people in the continental United States, here’s your probability of having a white Christmas in 2018. Check your hometown. Was the Christmas star real? Are there any astronomical explanations for the Star of Bethlehem or Christmas star? Here are some possibilities.

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Don't miss the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction You need an alarm clock and a clear sky to the east, the sunrise direction. Binoculars might come in handy. The 2 bright planets will come closer and closer, finally closest on December 21. Beautiful! More charts here.

Adelaide sunset For the Southern Hemisphere, the upcoming solstice marks the longest day of the year. Gordy Losic captured this December 6 sunset in Adelaide, South Australia. Thanks for sharing, Gordy! Submit your photo to EarthSky here! Did a friend forward EarthSkyNews to you? Click here to get your own subscription!

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