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#935485 12/02/21 01:31 PM
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From March to May you can see the Spring Triangle in northern skies. In summer the Summer Triangle is most prominent, but may be seen all year round in most of the northern hemisphere. There is also a Winter Triangle. But grandest of all is the Winter Hexagon.

Winter Hexagon

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Welcome to the Galactic Winter Games, a starry tribute to Earth's Winter Olympic Games. It's a tour of some really cool cosmic sights – as well as some hot ones, such as one of the biggest explosions in the Universe.

Galactic Winter Games

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Here are 30 people who made contributions to astronomy and space. Ten of them were also born between Halloween and the Winter Solstice. Can you match them to their birthdays?

Born between Halloween and the Solstice - Quiz

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Winter constellations - Auriga and Orion

The constellation Auriga represents a charioteer, but he has no chariot. However he does have a she-goat and two kids, as well as a rare ring galaxy and a runaway star. Capella is one of the sky's brightest stars, and it has some surprises.

Auriga the Charioteer


The stars of Orion have been part of humanity's mythscape for thousands of years. Seven bright stars outline the hunter's body. One of them is a supergiant nearing the end of its life. Yet just visible to the unaided eye is a vast stellar nursery where the next generation of stars is forming.

Orion the Hunter

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Imagine the scene: a starry night in mid-December. As your eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, you start to see movement in the sky. At some point you definitely see a shooting star – properly called a meteor. Welcome to what many people think is the year's best meteor shower, the Geminids.

Geminids – a December Spectacle

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If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, the cosmos may have something of interest. How about deep snow on one of Saturn's moons, a gigantic Christmas tree whose lights are baby stars, a snowman on an asteroid, or an Einstein ring?

Cosmic White Christmas

There's a limit to the number of image links in an article. If you're interested, here is the Curious spiral spotted by ALMA around the star R Sculptoris

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For many people Christmas is a special day with a magic of its own. A Christmas eclipse is a great treat and centuries ago a long-awaited comet finally showed up on Christmas day. But imagine spending the holidays a quarter of a million miles from home, as the crew of Apollo 8 did.

Christmas in the Skies


Click on this link If you are interested in the Apollo 8 Christmas Eve broadcast from the Moon.

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For six months, each day has been shorter than the last, the Sun lower in the sky. Will it disappear altogether and leave the people bereft in the dark cold winter? The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and is associated with more festivals than any other astronomical event.

Winter Solstice

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Winter constellations - Canis Major and Canis Minor

In a sky full of gods, heroes and wronged women, there are also four dogs. We have Canis Minor and the two dogs of Canes Venatici, but Canis Major is definitely top dog. It's a prominent constellation that has represented a dog since early Greek times.

Canis Major - the Greater Dog


Canis Minor is one of Orion's hunting dogs. It trots along behind its master unperturbed by the unicorn Monoceros). It's a small constellation with not much more to offer than one bright star, but it has a long history.

Canis Minor - the Lesser Dog

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The Star of Bethlehem is a lovely symbol of Christmas. Was it based on an actual astronomical happening? Or perhaps an inspired idea to emphasize the spiritual importance of the story?

What Was the Star of Bethlehem?

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