Laura Venner, a science educator and NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador in the New York area (and—full disclosure—a Volunteer for the Hayden Planetarium), has devised a timely resource for parents and educators. A product of children's questions and consternations, Laura has written a primer on how to address a child's concerns about the 2012 doomsday deception entitled The Simple Truth: Doomsday 12/21/2012 - Deception Revealed.

I was approached by a mother whose seven year old daughter was frightened about the world coming to an end in 2012, says Venner, who talks to children from the New York metropolitan area. She adds, It's always difficult to hear a young child ask if they are going to die in 2012. Over the years, she has noticed an increase in questions about, and accompanying stress related to, the 2012 doomsday deception.

Teachers and parents are not equipped to address children's concerns about the world ending in 2012, so I created an easy-to-read guide which will enable them to quell their fears, stated Venner. Her guide is designed to address the various events that some believe will contribute to the end of the world. A few of these events are scientifically valid, but will not have any effect on the world at-large, others are pure nonsense dreamt up by the latest in a long line of people who desire to see the world end (and often gain from it).

With 2012 upon us, we want to alert you of this valuable resource and we hope that, as this doomsday nonsense comes to a crescendo, you'll help spread the word so that kids (and adults) do not live in fear of the falsehood that the world will end in 2012.

Download: The Simple Truth: Doomsday 12/21/2012 - Deception Revealed

Visit: Laura Venner's Website

Sky Data

Sunday New Year’s Day, sunrise is at 7:20 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. That evening the sun sets at 4:39 p.m.

Civil twilight is a period when the sun’s disk is less than six degrees of arc from the horizon. It precedes sunrise and follows sunset by about one half hour. During these times, it is usually possible to read outdoors without the benefit of artificial light. However, only the brightest celestial objects may be visible during civil twilight.

Sunrise is at 7:18 a.m. Sunday January 15, and sunset occurs at 4:52.

On the last day of the month Tuesday January 31, sunrise is at 7:07 with sunset at 5:11 p.m. The sun is then located in Capricornus. During January, the length of time the sun is above the horizon each day increases by 45 minutes.

In January average overnight temperatures recorded near Belvedere Castle in Central Park drop slightly from 27 degrees Fahrenheit on the first of the month, to 26 degrees on the 31st. On that day the sun is in the constellation Capricornus.

Principal Phases of the Moon this month are:

This month there will be two occasions when the moon is at its first quarter phase. Perhaps the lunar event on January 30 might then be called a “Blue First Quarter Moon”. (See last month’s Sky Reporter for a reminder why first and last quarter lunar phases look like “Half Moons” when seen in the sky.)

On Wednesday January 4, at 8 p.m., the Earth reaches perihelion, when we are at the year’s minimum distance from the sun, about 91,376,000 miles.

Sky Cast

At 6 a.m. the morning of New Year’s Day, Mars is quite bright at magnitude 0.2, near the meridian in the constellation Leo. Saturn has magnitude 0.7 in Virgo, and is high in the southeast. At that time, Mercury has just risen in Ophiuchus with magnitude minus 0.4.

At 5 p.m. the evening of January first, the first quarter moon is in Pisces, 13 degrees of arc to the upper right of Jupiter as you face southeast. Jupiter, at magnitude minus 2.6, clearly outshines bright stars of winter evenings such as Sirius and Rigel.

However during January even Jupiter yields visual primacy to Venus, currently brilliant above the southwest horizon at magnitude minus 4.0. On January first, Venus sets three hours and 17 minutes after the sun.

Monday January 2 the moon is just four degrees of arc from Jupiter. If you have never pointed out the solar system’s largest planet to a friend or relation, this is a perfect night to do so, if the sky is clear.

Monday the 9th, the Full Wolf Moon is located near twin stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini and the bright star Procyon in the constellation of the Little Dog, Canis Minor.

During early mornings of January 13 and 14 the waning gibbous moon is 10 degrees south of Mars. On Monday, the 16th, the Last Quarter moon is in Virgo, forming a small triangle with nearby Saturn and first magnitude star Spica.

During twilight and early evenings of Wednesday January 25 and Thursday the 26th the crescent moon might be seen part of a beautiful configuration with Venus in our southwestern sky. We may also notice that the apparent distance between Venus and Jupiter is diminishing week to week. In March both planets will form a magnificent pair that will be joined for several nights by that month’s crescent moon.

On Sunday and Monday January 29 and 30 the moon moves pass Jupiter, flanking the big planet at an apparent distance of about six degrees each night.

At the end of January Venus, with magnitude minus 4.1, sets at 8:31 p.m., three hours and 20 minutes after the sun.

The evening of January 31 Mars rises at 8:27 p.m. Saturn rises at 11:33 p.m. and Jupiter sets at midnight.

Sky Lore

Late last month NASA scientists announced the Kepler space observatory had discovered two Earth sized planets, designated Kepler 20e and Kepler 20f. Kepler is searching an area of sky near bright stars Deneb and Vega. Although we usually consider these objects typical features of summer skies, they remain visible above our northwest horizon for some time after twilight fades during January evenings.

On New Year's Eve, about six minutes before midnight, when the ball is almost ready to drop at Times Square, Sirius the brightest star in our night sky, reaches its highest altitude of the night as it crosses the celestial meridian. Clearly, gloves, hat, and warm clothing contribute to stargazing pleasures this month.

Aside from frosty temperatures, January is a good month to enjoy celestial views. An exceptional set of bright stars centered on the constellation Orion graces our evening sky. In addition, Venus now dominates in the southwestern direction for several hours after sunset.

Informal groupings of stars known as asterisms, including those forming the Belt of Orion, the Twins of Gemini, and the celestial Winter Oval are, during winter, viewed through atmosphere comparatively low in thermal energy. This air is less able to suspend dust and droplets of moisture more common in warmer months. This condition results in greater transparency and relatively darker skies through which we may better perceive stars.

Throughout evenings of January brilliant winter stars are on display across our southern sky. Around midnight, nearly directly overhead, we may see the star Capella, shining with magnitude zero. The great asterism known as the Winter Oval can be traced, starting with Capella and ranging clockwise to Aldebaran in Taurus, Rigel in Orion, Sirius in Canis Major, at magnitude -1.4 the brightest star in our night sky, then Procyon in Canis Minor, and finally to twin stars, Castor and Pollux of Gemini, pointing us back to Capella.

Sky Data

Thursday December 1st, civil twilight begins at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and sunrise is at 7:00 a.m. That evening the sun, located in the constellation Ophiuchus, sets at 4:29 p.m. civil twilight concludes at 4:59.

Civil twilight starts at 6:41 a.m. and sunrise is at 7:12 on Thursday, December 15th. That day sunset occurs at 4:29, with civil twilight concluding at 5 p.m.

On the last day of the month, Saturday December 31st, civil twilight begins at 6:49 with sunrise at 7:20. Sunset is at 4:38 and civil twilight ends at 5:09.

During December average overnight temperatures recorded in Central Park drop from 36 degrees Fahrenheit on the first of the month, to 28 degrees on the 31st. On that day the Sun is located in the constellation Sagittarius.

Principal Phases of the Moon this month are:

Winter begins in the northern hemisphere at 12:30 a.m. the early morning of December 22nd. That time the sun is directly above a point in the Indian Ocean, 1,300 miles west north-west of Perth Australia and 1,330 miles south south-west of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Sky Cast

At the conclusion of civil twilight the evening of December 1st, Mercury has just set and the nearly First Quarter moon is half way between horizon and zenith in the southern sky. Venus is ten degrees of arc above the southwestern horizon and sets at 6:14 p.m. Jupiter is towards the east, 27 degrees above the horizon, at the border between constellations Pisces and Aries. Mars rises in Leo at 11:24 p.m. Saturn is Virgo, rising at 3:19 during the morning of December 2nd.

In early evenings at the start of December comet Garradd remains in Hercules, low in the western sky. Its softly diffused 6th magnitude glow is visible with low magnification telescopic eyepieces under a dark sky, but does not provide contrast with milky appearing skies over urban areas.

The evenings of Monday and Tuesday December 5th and 6th the bright gibbous moon is in the neighborhood of Jupiter, still extraordinarily bright at magnitude minus 2.8.

On the night of Saturday the 10th the Full Moon is located in Taurus, among bright stars and constellations typical of winter evenings. During December the Full Moon is above the horizon longer than at other times of the year, and it crosses the meridian at a higher altitude.

During early morning Saturday December 17th the Last Quarter moon may be seen nine degrees of arc south of Mars. The Red Planet then has magnitude 0.5, equivalent to some of the brightest stars in our sky.

On December 20th the waning crescent moon’s disk is about 23% illuminated by sunlight as seen from Earth. The lunar crescent is then about eight degrees south of Saturn.

You might ask if the moon’s Last Quarter phase occurred three days earlier, on Saturday the 17th, why does the moon’s disk appears nearly one-quarter illuminated on Tuesday the 20th. This is because what we call “Last Quarter” phase occurs when the moon starts the last quarter of its phase cycle, from one New Moon to the next. The designation Last Quarter doesn’t indicate the percentage of lunar surface seen illuminated by sunlight.

At about 6:45 the morning of Thursday December 22nd a thin crescent moon might be seen in the southeast, nine degrees of arc to the upper right of Mercury shining at magnitude minus 0.34, and 10 degrees above first magnitude Antares, brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.

About five p.m. at the end of civil twilight December 26th the very thin (6% illuminated) waxing crescent moon is eight degrees of arc to the right of brilliant Venus. At that time both are 20 degrees of arc above the southwestern horizon. The next evening a wider lunar crescent is nine degrees above Venus as twilight ends.

On New Year’s Eve at five p.m., Venus is well above the horizon at an altitude of 20 degrees. It has its usual brilliance with a magnitude of minus four, and sets at 7:19 p.m.

As we are preparing to welcome the year 2012 on the evening of December 31st, Mars rises at 10:17 p.m. Later, as many are heading home after the night’s celebrations, Saturn rises at 1:34 a.m. and Jupiter sets at 1:53 a.m.

Sky Lore

With the advent of the holiday season, magnificent stars in and around the constellation Orion are well placed for evening viewing. The brightest members of this celestial congregation include Betelgeuse and Rigel in Orion, the Hunter; Aldebaran in Taurus, the Bull; Capella in Auriga, the Charioteer; Procyon in Canis Minor, the Little Dog; and the most brilliant star in our entire night sky, Sirius in the constellation of the Large Dog, Canis Major.

This array is placed conveniently above the eastern and southern horizons by 10 p.m. at the start of December and by eight p.m. at month’s end.

Each of these extraordinary stars catch our attention, and the pattern of three second magnitude, nearly equally spaced stars along a line tracing the mythological “Belt of Orion, is an unmistakable sky feature at this time of the year. Once you notice these three, nearby Betelgeuse just to their northeast and Rigel to the southwest help orient our views to bright stars in neighboring constellations. For example, follow the line of the Belt stars to the northwest toward first magnitude Aldebaran. Look along the Belt to the southeast and you arrive at Sirius. A line from Sirius through Betelgeuse aims your gaze toward Capella. The view from Rigel toward Betelgeuse helps identify Castor and Pollux, brightest stars in Gemini.

Orion was depicted in classical mythology as a great Hunter, whose stellar representation is poised ready to ward off the charge of Taurus, while his two hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor are arrayed nearby.