The night sky on the night of the Boston Tea Party — 16 December 1773
On the evening of 16 December 1773 members of the Sons of Liberty, some disguised as Mohawk warriors, boarded three ships at Griffin's Wharf in Boston and dumped 342 chests of East India Company tea into the harbour, in protest against the Tea Act. Britain's response, the Coercive Acts, pushed the colonies toward revolution.
The sky over Griffin's Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
This is the real sky above Griffin's Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (42.35°N, 71.05°W) on 16 December 1773 at 20:00 Boston local mean time (UTC−4:44) that night (1773-12-17 00:44 UTC). The Sun was 38° below the horizon: it was full night. The Moon (waxing crescent, 14% lit) was 1° up in the west. Planets above the horizon: Venus (2° in the south-west) and Jupiter (43° in the south-west). Brightest named stars up: Vega, Capella, Rigel, Betelgeuse and Altair.
Make the sky of YOUR date
Every night has its own sky. Pick your city and your date — the night you met, a birth, a wedding — and see the real stars above it, free.
Want this night on your wall? Make a print-ready A3 star-chart poster of 16 December 1773 — 4.99.
All 75 historic night skies · The night sky on your birthday