Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.
December 8:
- Astronomy on Tap – Boulder with Dr. Mathias Nordvig, Dr. Lauren Blum, and Tiffiny Costello (Free in-person program):📍Rayback Collective: 6:00 PM
- SCFD Denver Museum of Nature and Science Free Day (Free in-person program):📍DMNS: 9:00 AM
- Look for the waning gibbous Cold Moon near the Beehive Cluster (the open star cluster, M44) in the constellation Cancer high in the southern sky: 4:00 AM
December 9:
- Amateur Astronomers Association – Mars: where is the air? with Dr. Tim Livengood from the University of Maryland (Free virtual program – registration required): Online via Zoom: 5:00 PM
December 10:
- Catch the waning gibbous Cold Moon in close conjunction with Regulus, the blue binary alpha star in the constellation Leo low in the eastern sky around 11:00 PM
December 11:
- Standley Lake Stargazing: One Giant Leap: The Lunar Science “J-Missions” (Free virtual event): Online via Zoom: 6:00 PM
- NASA Night Sky Network Webinar Series: 2025 Astronomy Picture of the Day with Dr. Robert Nemiroff (Free virtual event): Online via YouTube: 8:00PM
- The Cold Moon reached it’s last quarter in the constellation Leo: 1:51 PM
December 12:
- Standley Lake Stargazing: Stargazing at Eldorado Canyon State Park (Free in-person program – registration required): 📍El Dorado Canyon State Park Visitors Center: 6:30 PM
December 13:
- Standley Lake Stargazing: Winter Wonderland & Stargazing at Eldorado Canyon State Park (Free in-person program – registration required): 📍El Dorado Canyon State Park Visitors Center: 2:00 PM
- AAVSO Taking the Pulse of the Stars with Ann Marie Cody (Free virtual program – registration required): Online via Zoom: 12:00 PM
December 14:
- The Geminids peak on the night of December 13 into the early morning of December 14. At peak, under dark skies, you could see 100–120 meteors per hour
- Look for the waning crescent Cold Moon right next to Spica, the blue giant binary alpha star in the constellation Virgo low in the eastern sky around 3:00 AM
This Week’s Meteoric Activity:
You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.
- Geminids (GEM): 2:00 AM in northwestern Gemini — 3 up to120 per hour at the Dec 13/14 peak
- Anthelion (ANT): 1:00 AM in eastern Taurus — 2 per hour
- Monocerotids (MON): 2:00 AM in northwestern Monoceros — 1 per hour
- σ Hydrids (HYD): 3:00 AM in western Hydra — 1 per hour
- November Orionids (NOO): 1:00 AM in southwestern Gemini — 1 per hour
- Comae Berenicids (COM): 5:00 AM in central Leo Minor — Less than 1 per hour
- December φ Cassiopeiids (DPC): 10:00 PM in southern Cassiopeia — Less than 1 per hour
- Southern χ Orionids (ORS): Midnight in southeastern Taurus — Less than 1 per hour
- η Hydrids (EHY): 4:00 AM in western Hydra — Less than 1 per hour
- ψ Ursae Majorids (PSU): Last hour before dawn in southern Ursa Major — Less than 1 per hour
- December κ Draconids (DKD): Last hour before dawn in western Draco — Less than 1 per hour
- December χ Virginids (XVI): Last hour before dawn in southwestern Virgo — Less than 1 per hour
- December σ Virginids (DSV): Last hour before dawn in northern Virgo — Less than 1 per hour
Check Out These Helpful Guides from DAS:
- Where to Explore the 2025 Denver Night Skies
- When to Explore the 2025 Denver Night Skies
- What to Explore in the 2025 Denver Night Skies
Sky Map
- A pdf map of the night sky can be found at https://www.skymaps.com/skymaps
