Clear a spot on your calendar for the Geminid meteor shower, widely regarded as the most reliable display of the year. Activity stretches from 4 to 17 December, and the peak is predicted for the night of 13–14 December with zenithal hourly rates near 120 meteors per hour under dark skies.
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Below are common traditional names for each month’s full moon (largely from North American and European folklore). Names can vary by region, culture, and language. January — Wolf Moon (also: Old Moon, Ice Moon) February — Snow Moon (also: Hunger Moon) March — Worm Moon (also: Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Lenten Moon) April — Pink Moon (also: Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon) May — Flower Moon (also: Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon) June — Strawberry Moon (also: Rose Moon, Hot Moon) July — Buck Moon (also: Thunder Moon, Hay Moon) August — Sturgeon Moon (also: Grain Moon) September — Corn Moon (often Harvest Moon if closest to the autumn equinox) October — Hunter’s Moon (follows the Harvest Moon) November — Beaver Moon (also: Frost Moon) December — Cold Moon (also: Long Night Moon) Notes
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Polar lights are one of the most beautiful natural phenomena on Earth If we were to rank the most beautiful atmospheric phenomena, we would definitely give one of the highest places to polar lights. The ideal time for them is clear frosty nights from September to March at latitudes of about 67–70°.
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The Leonid Meteor Shower is an annual celestial event awaited by stargazers. The Leonid Meteor Shower is named after the constellation Leo, from where the meteors appear to emanate. It occurs when Earth crosses the debris trail left by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. This event is known for its bright meteors and persistent trails left in the sky, providing a spectacular view for observers.
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While many associate the winter season with cold weather, snowy landscapes and the holiday season, there is more than one way to define the beginning and end of winter. Meteorologists and astronomers use two different systems to delineate the seasons - meteorological winter and astronomical winter. Let’s explore the key differences between these two definitions of winter.
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From October 16 to 27, a real starfall will spill onto the Earth. It will be a meteor shower with a radiant in the Orion constellation, and therefore it will be called the Orionids Starfall. The peak of its activity will be on October 21-22. Scientists estimate that the average number of falling stars will be around 20-25 per hour.
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What is “Indian summer” and when does it happen? Mid-autumn is the time for the “return of summer”. Though all of us understand pretty well that a couple of warm and sunny autumn weeks will soon be replaced by the first frost, we continue calling this short period as summer.
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