China News Service, Nanjing, December 1 (Reporter Yang Yanci) According to the news from the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on December 1, the moon occludes Mars, total solar eclipse, moon "meeting" stars, Gemini meteor shower and other astronomical phenomena will appear in the starry sky at the end of 2021. The closing performance of the coming year.
On December 3, the moon eclipsed Mars and opened the prelude to the celestial phenomena in December.
On that day, the Moon and Mars will play "peek-and-see" in the early morning.
Astronomers reminded that interested members of the public can look for an open spot in the southeast direction and use binoculars to make observations after inquiring about the precise local eclipse time.
Although most parts of northern China are located within the eclipse zone, the observation conditions are average due to astronomical phenomena occurring during the day.
At the same time, December 3 falls on the 29th of October in the lunar calendar, and the moon rises more than an hour before sunrise and will soon be obscured by the sun's rays.
This month, Mars will disappear quickly after the "flicker" of the morning light.
On December 4, the last total solar eclipse of 2021 will occur in the southern hemisphere.
The total eclipse zone starts in the southern Atlantic Ocean, passes through Antarctica, and ends in the southern Pacific Ocean.
According to astronomical calculations, this total solar eclipse score can reach 1.037, and the longest total eclipse time is 1 minute 54 seconds, and the visibility is relatively high.
However, affected by the epidemic, most astronomy enthusiasts will not have the opportunity to "fly over the earth" to watch this celestial phenomenon.
This month, Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter will be neatly arranged in the southwestern sky in the first half of the night after sunset, bringing the wonderful scene of the moon "meeting" the stars.
From December 7th to 9th, the moon girl will "visit" these three bright stars one by one and perform the Xingyue Concerto respectively.
What is worth looking forward to is that the Geminid meteor shower, one of the three largest meteor showers in the northern hemisphere, will reach its peak on December 14.
Generally speaking, the Gemini meteor shower has a long duration, stable flow, and many bright meteors. In addition, the maximum zenith flow per hour can reach 150, which is very suitable for astronomers to observe.
Experts reminded that because the Geminid meteor shower will be disturbed by the first quarter moon this year, it is recommended to observe after half past one in the morning and pay attention to cold and warm weather.
As the finale of the astronomical phenomenon in 2021, the Ursa Minor meteor shower will continue the sweetness from the stars until the end of the year.
From December 18th to December 24th, the meteor shower ushered in an active period, with an hourly zenith flow of about 10, and occasionally up to about 50. It is more suitable for viewing in the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere.
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