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A week on Monday, IYA2009's last major shower, the Geminids, is favoured with a moonless maximum, expected on December 14 around 05h UT. New Moon is on December 16. The Geminid radiant, near Castor in Gemini, rises around sunset and reaches a usefully-observable elevation for meteor watchers by about 20h UT from Britain. After this, it remains well-placed for the rest of the night, culminating around 02h. Highest Zenithal Hourly Rates...

In the early evening of the 31st December the Moon undergoes the smallest partial eclipse that we have seen in the UK for 40 years - in that the Moon will only just dip into the umbral shadow of the Earth.  At mid-eclipse (19:23 ) the lower right of the Moon may just be seen to have a faint ruddy colour as indicated in the diagram.  The Moon begins to enter the penumbral shadow at 17:17, and will thus begin to...

Ah, I see the link above says pretty much what I did about it exploding, so perhaps some wasting typing on my part!

I hope it's a clear night because I'll be out with my tripod and camera. I missed the last partial eclipse which I think was on the 2nd because of the rain which was a real disappointment. I'm not much up on these things but I find them interesting. Thanks for the info. Any idea's as to why the second full moon in month is called a blue moon or why the moon will have at one point a ruddy colour? Cheers

This is a good read on the origins, use and misuse of the term 'blue moon'. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/162/is-there-ever-really-a-blue-moon

No debris has been found so far.

Awesome video!!! I love seeing these meteors!!! If I had seen that then my heart would have stopped for a second as I would think that we were doomed as it looked like it had hit when it exploded! I would love to see something like that in real life and at night!

Are the Leonids still going? Saw a bright orange fireball tonight that was heading due west - was fishing @ Tywyn just north of Aberdyfi - it crossed the entire sky from overhead to the horizon, fainter then. Nothing big in other words but worth seeing!!  Cheers - John 

Some contention over the definition of a 'blue moon', the FNMOC states it's the fourth full moon in an astronomical season: The Sky this Week ... I don't mind either way, personally

There will be two full moons during December, the first on the 2nd of December and the second is on the 31st December. The 2nd full moon within a calendar month is often called the blue moon. This blue moon is special because there will be a partial lunar eclipse as well. The penumbral stage starts at about 5.15pm The partial stage starts at about 6.51pm Maximum partial phase at about 7.22pm, where the far southern limb of the moon will be the...