Jupiter, Planets Put on Show in December - Geminids Now Above Oregon, Washington, Coastline

Published 12/03/24 at 5:35 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Portland, Oregon) – Get ready for the planets to put on a show above Oregon, Washington and the coastline, as well as the Geminid meteor showers. (Photo courtesy NASA)

In fact, you can see some monster meteors on occasion right now. Oregon Coast Beach Connection saw just that early Tuesday morning in the skies over Portland. The peak is still coming in mid December, however.

According to Jim Todd, astronomy expert, the planet Jupiter will be in opposition to Earth – and its closest to us – on December 7.

“At a distance of 380 million miles or 4.09 AU, the planet will be making its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun,” Todd told Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

There are two extremely bright objects in the skies these days: Jupiter and Venus. The latter is just a bit brighter than Jupiter, but not by much.

The planets during a close conjunction above Seaside, Oregon - Oregon Coast Beach Connection

“At a magnitude of -2.81, Jupiter will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long,” Todd said. “This happens because when Jupiter lies opposite the Sun in the sky, the solar system is lined up so that Jupiter, the Earth, and the Sun form a straight line with the Earth in the middle, on the same side of the Sun as Jupiter.”

Also see Green Nightglow Above Us All the Time, You Just Didn't Know: Washington / Oregon Coast Science

Right now is the best time to photograph Jupiter and its Galilean moons, he said. A medium telescope or larger will let you see the famed Red Spot on Jupiter, which is in its southern hemisphere.

The nighttime skies above Manzanita can yield some amazing sights. If it's clear, hang out at the Neahkahnie Viewpoints for awhile: it's an exceptional spot to see meteors (Oregon Coast Beach Connection).

Jupiter will be easy to spot in the night sky on December 7. It rises not long before sunset, at 4:20 p.m. that day, coming up in the southeast horizon. The sun goes down at 4:27 p.m. That is Portland time – on the Oregon coast it will be about seven to four minutes later, depending on your location.

See  Oregon Coast Weather (including tides) - Inland Oregon Weather

“Before midnight, face south to locate the Jovian planet, located far east of Saturn,” Todd said. “In opposition, the Jovian planet will appear at mid-elevation in the southwest as darkness falls lying within the constellation Taurus. Nearby will find giant star Aldebaran and the Pleiades (M45) to the Jovian planet. For 2024, Jupiter will reach an elevation of 66 degrees when due south at 12:01 a.m.”

During December, Todd said, Venus is low in the west after sunset. Look for it above the ocean if you're in areas like Westport, Pacific City, Seaside or Bandon. Mars will be a couple of hours behind, but it reaches nearly overhead in the overnight hours.

Graphic courtesy OMSI - click to enlarge

Geminid Meteor Showers on the Coastlines, Inland Washington / Oregon

Oregon Coast Beach Connection

According to NASA, the Geminids have already started, back on November 19. They go through December 23, but don't really start kicking in much until around December 7. If the weather will cooperate in places like Seattle, Bellingham, Salem or Reedsport remains to be seen, however.

You should start seeing more of them then leading up to the Geminids peak on December 13 and 14.

They tend to produce quite a few fiery moments, up to 120 an hour. However, a full moon during its peak will drown out many of them.

Whatever they do, it's already happening. Oregon Coast Beach Connection spotted an enormous meteor in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, one which glowed brightly but quickly. If it had taken several seconds it would've been big enough to almost be considered a fireball.

If you're out and about anywhere at night and it's somewhat clear, make certain you're looking up for awhile.

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