Whether by divine yuletide direction or curious chaotic convergence, the Christmas Tree Cluster offers a symbol of the day with a familiar arbor likeness. A collection of stars in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn), this object was discovered by William Herschel in the late 18th century. In this picture from the Wide Field Imager (WFI) attached to the 2.2-meter Max-Planck Society/ESO telescope at the La Silla observatory in Chile, nebulae containing gas and dust are visible that serve as the birthplace of stars, a fitting analog to the celebrated birth of the Christan Savior on this day. Merry Christmas to all from Utah Skies.

Once again as Santa brings gifts to all the good girls and boys, North American Aerospace Defense Command - NORAD - is tracking his progress east to west. “NORAD manages to keep track of him with satellites, radar, and strategically placed ‘SantaCams’,” says Navy Petty Officer Shane Wolenda. For more than 50 years, NORAD has tracked Santa’s frenzied journey around the globe; thank you, NORAD!

Here at Utah Skies, we wish a Merry Christmas to all!