Supermoon Leads December’s Sky Highlights on Dec. 4, Observatory Confirms

Overview

• The Observatório do Valongo’s December ephemerides list a full Moon near perigee on Thursday, marking the year’s final supermoon.
• On the same night, the Moon passes near the Pleiades in Taurus, with the pairing visible toward the northwest.
• The Pupidas–Velidas meteor shower peaks on Dec. 7 from around 21:00 toward the southeast, followed by the Geminids on Dec. 14 from about 22:00 toward the northeast.
• Additional conjunctions include the Moon with Jupiter before dawn on Dec. 7, with Regulus on Dec. 10, with Mercury and Antares on Dec. 18 and Dec. 26, then with Saturn later in the month.
• The guide also notes the Southern Hemisphere solstice on Dec. 21 and emphasizes simple preparation over special equipment.