NORTHERN HEMISPHERE — Winter Solstice this year will be enhanced by the presence of a full moon and the peaking of a major meteor shower. Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, with the longest night, marking the point during the year when the Northern Hemisphere is the most inclined away from the Sun. The day marks the ...

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE — The 2016 Perseid meteor shower is upon us, and the excitement is about to double. At its usual yearly peak, the Perseid can rain down up to 100 meteors per hour. This year, astronomers say we can look forward to twice that, with an outburst at its peak of about 200 meteors per hour. Associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle, the Perseid ...