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2
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Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 0h UT (365,923 km; 32.7').
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4
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Moon very near the Pleiades at 3h UT (evening sky). Occultation visible from North America and Western Europe.
• Occultation of the Pleiades (IOTA)
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5
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Full Moon at 0:25 UT. The full Moon of December is called the "Moon Before Yule" in northern folklore.
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7
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Moon near Pollux at 23h UT (morning sky).
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9
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Moon near Beehive cluster (M44) at 2h UT (morning sky).
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10
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Moon near Saturn at 11h UT (morning sky).
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10
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Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter within 1.0° circle at 14h UT (15° from the Sun, morning sky).
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10
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Mercury 0.13° from Jupiter at 19h UT (15° from Sun, morning sky). Magnitudes -0.6 and -1.7.
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10
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Moon near Regulus at 22h UT (morning sky).
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12
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Last Quarter Moon at 14:32 UT.
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13
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Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 19h UT (distance 404,418 km; angular size 29.6').
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14
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Geminid Meteor Shower peaks at 10:45 UT. Produces bright, medium-speed meteors at its peak (up to 80 meteors/hour). The parent body of the Geminids is a mysterious asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon believed to be an "extinct comet."
• The Geminids (Gary Kronk)
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15
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Moon near Spica at 10h UT (morning sky).
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18
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Moon near Jupiter at 19h UT (21° from Sun, morning sky). Magnitude -1.7.
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19
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Moon near Mars at 2h UT (18° from Sun, morning sky).
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19
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Moon near Antares at 3h UT (18° from Sun, morning sky).
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20
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Mars 4.4° from Antares at 4h UT (18° from Sun, morning sky). Magnitudes +1.5 and +1.0.
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20
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New Moon at 14:01 UT. Beginning of lunation 1039.
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22
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December solstice at 0:25 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)
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27
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First Quarter Moon at 14:48 UT.
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28
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Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 2h UT (370,323 km; 32.3').
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All times Universal Time (UT). USA Eastern Standard Time = UT - 5 hours.
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