Challenge: Explore the Sky 2023-2024

Daniella Morrone
Dec 4, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Dec 5, 2023

Our annual Observational Challenge is back!

During the months of December 2023 and January 2024, we invite you to discover the sky. There are so many beautiful things to see when you take the time to look up! With this challenge, you will have the chance to observe the Moon in several of its phases, the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus, and to identify several stars and constellations!

Here you will find information on the different observations to be made and the best times to do them.

You can download the Challenge Sheet to note your observations. If you're lucky with the weather and manage to fill it, you can use another one or any simple observational journal.

Click the image above to download the Challenge Sheet (PDF).

Teachers and Parents

The activity is part of a larger set of resources called Exoplanets in the Classroom (English version coming soon). We're happy to share additional resources about this activity, such as :

Activity description
Information modules about the different observations
Video tutorial to learn how to use Stellarium Web (kids - and adults - love this program!)

The Proposed Observations

NOTE: These observations are visible throughout southern Canada and at similar latitudes (such as Europe). Some of them could be a challenge under more northern latitudes. Contact us if you have any questions!

Care to see the Moon? Check out 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9.
Or perhaps a planet? Check out 1 or 2.
Maybe a constellation? Check out 2, 4, or 8.
How about individual stars? Check out 4 or 6.
Or maybe a beautiful feature of the Moon or Sun? Check out 3 or 10.

Click on the arrow of each item to see the image and the description!

1 - Venus meets a Waning Crescent Moon 🌘

A rendezvous to add to your calendar is the meeting of Venus and the Waning Crescent Moon🌘 in the early morning skies at the beginning of December. Venus will be glowing bright on the South-East horizon. As the days progress, the thin Waning Crescent Moon will approach the illuminated planet, making their closest approach in the sky on December 9, 2023. After this date, the Moon will enter its New Moon phase, in which we cannot see any of its daytime side, and it will no longer be visible in the sky.

During this Challenge, see if you can catch both Venus and the Waning Crescent Moon in the sky at the same time! The best days and times for trying this are December 7-9, 2023 just before sunrise (around 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM).

The Moon and Venus on the morning of December 9, 2023:

2 - A duel for the ages: Orion vs. Jupiter

During all of December and January, take a peek outside and observe Orion defending themself from Jupiter! The constellation Orion depicts a warrior with their shield raised. As we enter December, Orion’s shield is facing Jupiter in our night sky.

During this Challenge, see if you can catch this epic battle in the sky. In the Eastern sky around sunset, Jupiter rises first (it's very bright and easy to spot!), soon followed by Orion. As the night progresses, the two bring their duel across the sky until sunrise, when they both set in the West. The best time to observe this is any night in December and January between 8:00 PM and 12:00 AM.

The Orion constellation with its shield facing Jupiter:

3 - Waxing Crescent Moon and Earthshine 🌒

A few days after the New Moon, we can see the Waxing Crescent Moon🌒. The crescent itself is lit directly by the Sun. If you pay close attention and the conditions are good, you might also notice that the rest of the Moon is also dimly lit. This light, called earthshine, is also from the Sun, but which has been reflected by the Earth onto the Moon!

During the Challenge, the best times to observe this Waxing Crescent Moon and the earthshine are just after sunset on December 14-17, 2023 and January 13-15, 2024.

4 - The Orion constellation, Aldebaran, and the Pleiades

In the winter months, an alignment of bright astronomical objects graces our sky: the constellation Orion, the star Aldebaran, and the Pleiades star cluster. Rising in the East in the early evening and setting in the West in the early morning, this alignment is not one to be missed!

During this Challenge, see if you can catch this alignment of constellation, star, and cluster in the sky. In the Eastern sky around sunset, the Pleiades rise first, soon followed by Aldebaran, then Orion. As the night progresses, they will sweep across the sky. One way to find this trio is to follow the three stars in Orion's Belt to find Aldebaran, then continue to a small cluster of stars! The best time to observe this is any night in December and January between 7:00 PM and 2:00 AM.

5 - First Quarter Moon 🌓

In mid- to late-December and January, a few days after the Waxing Crescent Moon, a First Quarter Moon will be visible in the sky in the afternoon and early evening. During the First Quarter Moon, the Moon’s shape will slightly resemble a capital “D” in the sky.

During this Challenge, see if you can catch the First Quarter Moon during sunset, and if you’re observing a little later in the night, watch out for Jupiter and Saturn on either side of this First Quarter Moon (Jupiter will be the brightest to the left of the Moon, and Saturn is fainter and further to the right)!

The best days to observe this are December 19, 2023 and January 17, 2024.

6 - The Summer Triangle: the stars Deneb, Vega, and Altair

In the west in the early evening, you can see the stars Vega, Deneb, and Altair. These are the three stars that form the Summer Triangle. Deneb is part of the Cygnus constellation which looks like a cross.

During this Challenge, see if you can locate this out-of-season triangle around sunset! The best time to observe this is in the early evening on any day in December.

7 - Full Moon 🌕

The Full Moon is perhaps the most spectacular phase since the entire face of the Moon is very bright. The Moon rises in the evening and sets in the morning. In the evenings of late December, this Full Moon will pass between the Orion Constellation and the pair of stars Pollux and Castor. About a month later, in the evenings of late January, the Full Moon will pass by the Pollux / Castor pair once again.

During this Challenge, see if you can observe the Full Moon in the evening, when it is in the east. The best days to observe this Moon phase are December 26-27, 2023, and January 23-25, 2024.

The Full Moon and the stars Pollux and Castor make a triangle the night of December 27, 2023. The view will be very similar on January 23, 2024.

8 - The constellations Cassiopeia and Ursa Major

The constellation Cassiopeia is one of the first constellations that we usually learn to identify. It's named after a queen in Greek mythology, but in the sky, it looks more like a "W" or an "M". Between November and January, in the early evening, Cassiopeia is close to the zenith, the point directly above our heads. Just below when looking north, and if your horizon is clear, you can spot the famous Big Dipper part of the constellation Ursa Major! Between the two is Polaris, the North Star.

During this Challenge, see if you can locate this pair of constellations! Both Cassiopeia and Ursa Major will be visible every night, from sunset to sunrise.

9 - Last Quarter Moon 🌗

During the Last Quarter Moon, the lit portion of the Moon sort of looks like a filled-in letter C 🌗. It rises late at night, around midnight. You can actually still see it in the early morning —look southwest!

During this Challenge, the best times to look for this Last Quarter Moon are December 5, 2023, January 3, 2024, and February 2, 2024 in the morning.

10 - A sunset

A day when there are not too many clouds, find the Sun at the end of the day. Did you notice the time? The Sun sets very early in winter! In which direction was it? Record your observations on your sheet!

⚠️⚠️ Be careful, never look at the Sun directly, even when it sets, you could damage your eyes!⚠️⚠️

This activity is part of a full teacher's guide, currently in development, called Exoplanets in the classroom. It is a project led by the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets at the University of Montréal, in collaboration with Discover the Universe, École en réseau and l’Association pour l’enseignement de la science de la technologie au Québec, and funded by the program NovaScience from the Ministère de l'Économie et de l'Innovation du Québec.