Worked for Associated Press in Mississippi, Frontline at PBS in Washington, D.C., ABA Journal (American Bar Association's monthly magazine), Hearst in New York, Gannett in Louisiana and freelanced for The New York Times and Rolling Stone.
People across South Carolina for weeks have been able to see the celestial phenomenon in the night sky that may have led the Biblical wise men to Bethlehem, and this weekend will be no different as winter officially arrives.
Astronomers have long debated the "Christmas Star," a bright heavenly blaze that led the three Magi to baby Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew. Researchers have used computer models to map where the planets and constellations were in the sky thousands of years ago. A popular theory is that the "Star of Bethlehem" wasn't a star at all, but likely a conjunction of planets -- either Jupiter and Saturn or a conjunction between Jupiter and Venus, according to astronomy.com.
News
Meteor showers to light up night skies over South Carolina. Find a dark spot to see the show.
By Lynda Edwards [email protected]
Both Jupiter and Venus, along with Mars, are visible now in the night skies.
At peak brightness about two weeks ago, the Christmas Star -- Venus this year because of its prominence in the sky -- was almost as bright as the moon, a NASA planetary scientist told ABC News.
Though past its peak, it is still visible in the west in the night sky. Look for a steady, gleaming point of light.
This month, Jupiter (which appears bright in the eastern night sky) is unusually close to Earth and Venus. Good binoculars may make it possible to see the planet's four biggest moons -- Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto. It reached opposition, its closest point to Earth, on Dec. 7 and appears as large and bright as it will get this year. It will remain visible, and highest in the sky just after midnight, through much of January.
Columbia
How to see once-in-a-lifetime star explosion in the SC night sky
By Lynda Edwards [email protected]
Winter officially arrives, with a meteor shower and Betelgeuse
At 4:20 a.m. Dec. 21, the winter solstice -- the moment when the Earth's axis tilts to its furthest reach from the sun -- arrives to usher in the start of winter with the darkest, longest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere. In South Carolina, daylight will last around 10 hours or less, with night stretching for just more than 11 hours, according to timeanddate.com.
The Greenville area will see the least daylight in the state, with 9 hours and 49 minutes. Hilton Head will see the most, at 10 hours and 2 minutes. Charleston is expected to have 9 hours and 59 minutes of daylight.
This year, the cosmos brighten the solstice yet again with the peak of the Ursid meteor shower on the night of Dec. 21-22. The lower-key shower comes at the tail of the Geminids, which peaked about a week ago. Look for the Big Dipper and Little Dipper constellations. About 10 to 25 meteorites, or shooting stars, will appear to tumble from the dippers hourly, so pour a coffee and stay up with a friend to pass the time.
All this month, it's possible to see red supergiant Betelgeuse, the star that gave actor Michael Keaton's iconic, hilarious villain "Beetlejuice" his name in the 1988 comedy-horror film. The sequel "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" was released this year.
To locate Betelgeuse the star, which glows a distinctive orange-red, find the Orion constellation then look to the left of the three stars in Orion's belt. Two brighter stars appear to the north, marking the Hunter's shoulders. The bright one on the left is Betelgeuse -- which, along with Procyon (a yellow-tinted white star) and Sirius form what astronomers refer to as the Winter Triangle sparkling shortly after nightfall in the east.
News
'Comet of the Century' to fly over South Carolina. Here's how to catch a glimpse of it.
By Lynda Edwards [email protected]
Other planets making an appearance
In addition to Jupiter and Venus, the Planetary Society urges stargazers to be sure to see the unusually bright Mars this month. The red planet now rises about 90 minutes after sunset.
Even Mercury makes a rare appearance on Christmas Day. Look in the lower eastern sky just before dawn on Dec. 25, when it will be at its highest point above the horizon.
A beautiful collision of darkness and light appears two nights before New Year's Eve. A reflection of light from Earth illuminates the dark side of the Moon. The poetic names for the phenomenon include Earthshine, the ashen glow and the DaVinci glow.
For New Year's Eve, Jupiter and Mars will be high in the night sky as 2025 is ushered in.