Derekscope

• The Moon reaches its First Quarter phase at 18:13 pm, with 50% illumination in the constellation Pisces (The Fishes).
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• High in the southern sky during early evening – ideal for public viewing and photography.
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• With the Moon still crescent, its glow won’t overwhelm Saturn, so you should be able to spot the planet clearly with the naked eye all night.
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• Saturn will appear as a steady golden “star” just below the Moon.
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• Binoculars will enhance the view, but even without them, the pairing will be obvious.
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• At 8 pm, look to the southwest to see the Moon alongside Saturn.
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oooo
Whatever the skies bring,
may your heart be open to wonder.

Merry Christmas
from Derek

Titan transits Saturn all night

• Saturn is visible from the UK with a telescope.
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• The transit begins around sunset and continues into twilight, offering a rare and poetic view of Saturn’s largest moon crossing the planet’s disk.
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Algol
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• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) reaches its minimum brightness at 18:27pm in the early evening on Tuesday 23rd December and will be visible from the UK.
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• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
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• The Ursid meteor shower will peak on the night of Sunday 21st thru Monday 22nd December 2025, with the best viewing hours from late evening through dawn.
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• Look northward – Meteors can appear anywhere, but they radiate from near the Little Dipper in the constellation Ursa Minor.
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• The 2025 winter solstice occurs on Sunday 21st December at 15:02 GMT (3:02 PM) in the UK ~ this marks the official start of astronomical winter and the shortest day of the year.
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• The winter solstice happens when the Sun reaches its lowest point in the sky at noon, resulting in the shortest daylight period of the year.
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Algol Minima
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• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) reaches its minimum brightness at 21:38 pm in the evening on Saturday 20th December and will be visible from the UK.
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• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
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Algol
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• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) reaches its minimum brightness at 00:49 am in the early morning on Thursday 18th December and will be visible from the UK.
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• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
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• The Moon and Mercury will be in conjunction, sharing the same right ascension.
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• However, they will not be easily visible from the UK due to low altitude and daylight timing.
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