December- Geminids meteor shower, Cleopatra's Eye, Algol
☄️Geminid Meteor Shower Dec. 13th ☄️
On the night of December 13th, the annual Geminids meteor shower will peak. The Geminids are considered one of the best meteor showers every year because the individual meteors are bright, and they come fast and furious. The Geminids have a lot of fireballs which will help visibility despite the moon. The best time to watch for the Geminids this year is in the pre-dawn sky because of the waxing gibbous moon in the early evening.
Beta Persei- Algol
Every 2.87 days Algol varies in magnitude from 2.1 to 3.4, making it the easiest variable star in the sky to observe. Use Gamma Andromedae (mag 2.1), Epsilon Persei (mag 2.9), and Rho Persei (mag 3.4) to compare the magnitude of Algol over your 3 day observation.
NGC 1535- Cleopatra's Eye
You’ll find this bright planetary nebula just 4 degrees to the east of the star Zaurak in Eridanus. Although a fine object for small telescopes, it really shines in large aperture instruments. This is a small very high surface brightness object that takes magnification extremely well. For the best view use at much magnification as the conditions will permit. Small telescopes at about 100x will show a small, bright blue, hazy disc.
