SKYWATCHER'S REPORT, DECEMBER 24, 1991

   Hello. This is the Smithsonian SkyWatcher's Report for the week
beginning December 24, 1991, from the Albert Einstein Planetarium at
the National Air and Space Museum.

   The last week of 1991 finds the Moon coursing through the morning
sky as she wanes to Last Quarter on the 27th at 9:56 PM Eastern
Standard Time.  Watch Luna rising with bright Jupiter on the night of
the 26th.

   Saturn closes out the year literally in the twilight of his
apparition.  He sets less than half an hour after the end of evening
twilight by the end of the week, and is a difficult target at best
for the urban skywatcher.  You might be able to catch a parting
glimpse of him in the southwestern sky about half an hour after
sunset.  The next time we see him in the evening sky will be late in
the spring of 1992, so at least that's something to look forward to.

   Jupiter pauses at year's end to begin his retrograde loop for his
upcoming opposition.  1992 will find the Giant Planet playing out his
stately dance against the background stars of Leo the Lion.  On the
31st at about 5 AM he stops his eastward trek around the sky and
begins to slide back toward the bright star Regulus, which he passed
back in mid-September.  He'll make up about half the distance to the
star between now and early May, when he resumes direct eastward
motion again.  Incidentally, the date of his next opposition is
rather interesting: February 29th.
             Most of the planetary action takes place in the early morning sky
this week, with Venus and Mercury playing host to the gathering
twilight of dawn.  Venus is the obvious one, a dazzling beacon in the
crisp morning air.  She rises well before most kids on Christmas
Morning, and this year gives Santa plenty of warning to complete his
appointed rounds before Old Sol chases him back to the darkness of
the North Pole.  

   Mercury is a little less conspicuous, and rises just as the first
rays of morning pierce the sky.  He reaches his greatest elongation
west of the Sun on the 27th, and stands some 10 degrees above the
southeastern horizon half an hour before the Sun's appearance.  The
27th also marks my Father's birthday, so Happy 80th, Dad!  Early
risers (or late-night revelers) might like to cast a glance at the
pre-dawn sky on New Year's Day; they'll see an attractive grouping of
the old crescent Moon just below Venus, with Mercury and the bright
star Antares not far behind.

    The end-of-year holidays mark the midnight culmination of the
winter sky's most glorious display of starlight, as Orion and the
attendant luminaries of the Great Winter Circle flicker in the south
over the frosty landscapes below.  The brightest of these stars, and
indeed the brightest in the entire sky, is Sirius, the Dog Star,
leader of the constellation Canis Major.  This star is every bit as
effective a marker for the new year as is the celebrated Big Apple in
Times Square since it culminates, reaching its highest point above
the southern horizon, at the stroke of Midnight on New Year's Eve. 
Its name means "The Scorching One", and to witness its transit into
the eyepiece of a large telescope is akin to watching a sunrise. 
It's dazzling blue color is accentuated by the frosty air, and it
almost seems to vibrate and emit rays of piercing light.  Few sights
in Nature offer such a glimpse into the majesty and power of the
Universe.

   As we close the book on 1991 and look forward to 1992, the staff
of the Albert Einstein Planetarium would like to extend our wishes
for a safe and peaceful New Year.  May you have clear skies, dark
nights, and friends among the stars.  And as always,

   Until next week, let the stars get in your eyes, and thank you
for calling the Smithsonian.