The Annual Planetarium Christmas Program presented by the Kent County High School Planetarium and Radio Station (WKHS – FM 90.5) will return for its 37th year on six nights in December (December 11, and 12; and then the following week December 15, 16, 18, and 19) at 7:00 o’clock pm. No admission is charged and seasonal refreshments will be offered.
The theme for the 2025 program is “I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS,” inspired by the well-known Christmas carol of the same name which soared to the top of the hit parade in 1942 when many could not be home for Xmas due to World War II. As usual the traditions of Xmas will be explored along with a good dose of the night time sky.
Winter Solstice arrives on December 21st at 10:00 am. This is the official first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere when the Sun is at its lowest above the southern horizon at noon. (26 ½ degrees above the horizon at our latitude (39 degrees north). Sky-watchers have longer nights in which to delight in the sky’s wonders this month and into the next.
Saturn is easy to spot in the south/southwest sky all month, and until the crescent Moon arrives December 26th, will be the brightest object there. Neptune can also be seen with binoculars using Saturn as a guide, looking slightly up and left of the ringed planet. Saturn’s rings seen edge on most recently will appear to open slightly this month (seen through a telescope).
Jupiter rises about 8 pm in the eastern sky brightening and growing in size all month. We are moving closer to Jupiter as we orbit the Sun right now. We will be at our closest to the giant planet since last year in January 2026. A waning gibbous Moon stands just above and left of Jupiter on the 8th. The longer nights this month would allow sky-watchers with telescopes to see the entire surface of Jupiter in one night as it rotates in just 10 hrs.
Venus and Mars are close to conjunction with the Sun and are not visible this month. but the Geminid meteor shower peaks on December 14th.
The Geminid meteor shower is known for bright meteors and isone of the best of the year’s meteor showers. One hundred meteors per hour are not unusual. The best time to look is from midnight to 3 am toward Gemini, high up 70 degrees in the southern sky. A waning crescent Moon may interfere somewhat, but only for the dimmer meteors.
Dennis Herrmann developed a life-long interest in astronomy at an early age and got his first telescope at the age of 12. Through his 43 years of teaching at Kent County High School he taught Astronomy and Earth/Space Science and coached track and field and cross country. He led and participated in numerous workshops on astronomy at the Air and Space Museum (DC), the Maryland Science Center, and the Mid-Atlantic Planetarium Society. He loves sharing and explaining the night sky to increase understanding and enjoyment of it to folks of all ages.
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