Bootleg Astronomers

*** Due to the number of people doing imaging at the Bootleg Star Parties, Bootleg Management is indicating that Green Lasers will not be permitted starting one hour after sunset ***

3	Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 9h UT.
3	Moon near Venus (41° from Sun, morning sky) at 21h UT. Mag. −4.7. • Venus (Wikipedia)
5	Moon near Mercury (17° from Sun, morning sky) at 22h UT. Mag. 0.9.
7	New Moon at 7:21 UT. Start of lunation 1187. • Lunation Number (Wikipedia)
7	Mars 0.04° NNW of Neptune (88° from Sun, evening sky) at 14h UT. Mags. 0.1 and 7.9.
9	Moon near Saturn (evening sky) at 5h UT. Mag. 0.5. • Saturn (Wikipedia)
12	Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 12h UT (distance 405,177 km; angular size 29.5').
14	Geminid Meteor Shower peaks at 12:30 UT. Produces bright, medium-speed meteors at its peak (up to 80 meteors/hour). Most reliable meteor shower. Easy to observe (radiant on sky map). Best after midnight. • Meteor Shower Calendar (IMO) • Geminids (NASA) • Geminids of the North (APOD)
15	Moon near Mars (evening sky) at 2h UT. Mag. 0.2. • Mars (Wikipedia)
15	Mercury at greatest elongation west (21° from Sun, morning sky) at 11h UT. Mag. −0.4.
15	First Quarter Moon at 11:48 UT.
20	Moon near the Pleiades (evening sky) at 16h UT. • The Pleiades (Wikipedia)
21	Moon near Aldebaran (evening sky) at 7h UT. • Aldebaran (Wikipedia)
21	Mercury 0.8° NNE of Jupiter (20° from Sun, morning sky) at 20h UT. Mags. −0.4 and −1.8.
21	December solstice at 22:25 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point farthest south of the celestial equator marking the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. • December Solstice (Wikipedia)
22	Full Moon at 17:49 UT. • Full Moon Names (Wikipedia)
23	Jupiter 5.2° N of Antares (22° from Sun, morning sky) at 20h UT. Mags. −1.8 and 1.0.
24	Moon near Castor (morning sky) at 3h UT.
24	Moon near Pollux (morning sky) at 7h UT.
24	Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 9:57 UT (361,062 km; angular size 33.1').
25	Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (morning sky) at 5h UT. • Beehive Cluster (Wikipedia) • M44: The Beehive Cluster (APOD)
26	Moon near Regulus (morning sky) at 18h UT. • Regulus (Wikipedia)
29	Last Quarter Moon at 9:36 UT.
30	Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 15h UT.

>>> All times Universal Time (UT). USA Central Standard Time = UT-6 hours. (DST = UT-5 hrs,)

Zodiacal Light is caused by sunlight reflected off meteoric dust in the plane of the solar system. Choose a clear, moonless night, about 1-2 hours after sunset, and look for a large triangular-shaped glow extending up from the horizon (along the ecliptic). The best months to view the Zodiacal Light is when the ecliptic is almost vertical at the horizon: March and April (evening) and October-November (morning); times reversed for the southern hemisphere.
• Zodiacal Light (Wikipedia)
• Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)
• Photographing the Zodiacal Light (Weatherscapes)