Dec 22 - Top Stories This Week

December 22 Top Stories This Week by:

We're in this century's longest lunar month  Why this lunar month will be 7 hours longer than the mean and the century's longest. This weekend … Catch Mercury in the morning sky Mercury is the innermost planet, and the most elusive planet. But it's putting on a fine show in the sunrise direction, before sunup. Watch: Grand Canyon cloud inversion Gorgeous new time-lapse. Double green flash Green flashes are best seen over ocean horizons, and, this time, the California wildfires did something helpful.  Was the Christmas star real? Some possible astronomical explanations for the Star of Bethlehem. Opportunity rover on Mars still going strong Opportunity's solar panels survived the winter darkness and are now facing a possible planet-wide dust storm in 2018. Astronomers spy a red giant's bubbling surface Each great bubble is so huge it would extend from our sun to Venus. 1st quarter moon is December 25-26 The moon will reach its 1st quarter phase on Christmas night (December 26 at 09:20 UTC). It'll shine in the evening sky around the world, looking half-illuminated, like half a pie. EarthSky is taking a holiday hiatus over this long weekend.  Back Tuesday. Warmest holiday wishes to you all!

Welcome 2018 with an EarthSky lunar calendar Our lunar calendar shows the moon phase for each day of the coming year. Also ... check out the new colors and designs of our EarthSky Cares Tees. A percentage of proceeds collected will be donated to select organizations.

This weekend … Catch Mercury in the morning sky It's in the sunrise direction before sunup, but very low in the sky. Luckily, 2 other planets - Mars and Jupiter - are pointing to Mercury.

Pink sunset over Singapore Kannan A wrote: "We had a pink sunset in Singapore this evening. The sky was shrouded in pink covering the whole island. It was awesome." Thank you, Kannan A, and to all in the EarthSky community … have a great weekend!  Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

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