Christmas Sunset

Sometimes the naked eye astronomy experiences are easily as spectacular as catching a Messier object or finding that elusive comet. Last evening was one of those special times. Late in the afternoon, we were driving south on I95 headed to family Christmas celebration in Washington, D.C. The sky was already dramatic with crazy wind blown clouds and an intense sun set against an intensely blue sky. A perfect winter afternoon. As Lauren commented, "our nearest star is really intense," she donned her sunglasses and asked me to take a few photos while she drove.

I began to pay close attention to the sky as the sun slowly started to set. The sun seemed unusually large and a deep yellow-orange like glowing hot iron. The clouded were back lit and the sky began to transition from blue to yellows and oranges. Then the show really began once the sun slipped below the horizon. As Lauren said, "Our nearest star is really showing off tonight!" The clouds first took on a salmon pink hue. Then magenta, and then a spectacular mix of true violet and magenta, unlike anything I remember seeing before. After nearly an hour of slowly transitioning colors, the sky was a dark orange and the clouds a steely blue.

Then, high to the southwest, we spotted the setting crescent moon. A bright white sliver where the sky transitioned from orange, to yellow, to blue. Looking through the rear view mirror, Lauren noticed the terminator beginning to rise, raising the veil of night from east to west, subtly, ever so slowly. Quite beautiful, with its own colors and often missed by sunset observers.

As if this weren't enough already, Venus appeared as a bright beacon in the field of orange sky, so bright I had to observe closely to be sure it wasn't the lights from an airplane flying directly toward us. No, steady position and intensely bright, it's Venus. The terminator slowly crept over us, defining an arc of light below the growing dark of night.

More than an hour had passed and now the sky was finally dark. Other stars were becoming visible, even with the bright headlights of oncoming traffic and street lights to the sides. Our final treat was a flyover of the International Space Station. Anticipating the flyover, my son and I started scanning the sky to the northwest for the rising spot of light. As usual, he was the first to catch sight of it, exclaiming, "there it is!" As the station rose high over our right shoulders, I quietly wished the crew of 6 a Merry Christmas, Buon Natale, and с рождеством.

 

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