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| Mercury |
It seems that Mercury can't decide if it wants to rise before the Sun or stay up late. This month, the innermost planet will stay up late and be visible after sunset. Mercury will be lost in the glare of the Sun until later in the month, likely around the 21st. As the month progresses, this tiny world will climb higher in the sky to escape the glare of the Sun. As Mercury climbs higher, Venus will sink lower in the sky, bringing the pair closest on the 28th. Mercury will also continue to brighten as the end of December nears.
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| Venus |
Venus continues to beg for attention through December. It will continue to be one of the first, if not the first, object that an observer will notice in the sky after sunset. I have been surprised at its brightness throughout November, but Venus will unfortunately begin to dim towards the end of December. Our sister planet will appear to gravitate closer to the Sun this month, sinking closer to the western horizon each evening. A steely-eyed observer will notice tiny Mercury rising higher in the sky as Venus sinks lower. On the 28th, the pair of inner planets will make their closest approach from our vantage point, appearing just 4° apart. On the 6th, the two day old Moon will join Venus in the evening sky, being less than 2° away.
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| Mars |
The long wait for Mars to return to our sky will come to an end this month. The red planet will be visible in the morning before sunrise. On the 25th, Mars will be positioned close to Antares, the stars' whose name literally means "not Mars." Don't confuse these two as many often do! Mars lies on the far side of the Sun from Earth and will appear less bright than Antares. Antares is much further from the Earth (about 555 light years) but it is also many times larger than our own Sun.
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| Jupiter |
Jupiter and Saturn will be easy to spot after sunset. These two gas giants will form a line with Venus that was noticeable in November. This trio will be joined by Mercury later in the month. The pair of gas giants are sinking closer to the Sun so if you get the chance, break out your telescope to give these planets a final look in 2021.
Jupiter will be brighter and found higher in the sky than Saturn after sunset. Binoculars will reveal the four Galilean Moons, which change position very quickly. A telescope will show the contrasting cloud bands, moon transits, and the Great Red Spot. The Earth's moon will join Jupiter in the sky on the 8th this month.
Saturn can be found sandwiched between Venus and Jupiter. December will be your final chance to view the majestic rings of Saturn this year, and likely for a while as this planet falls closer to the Sun. A telescope will easily reveal the rings but you may also view Titan and a few other moons of Saturn. Since Saturn is closer to the horizon, the Moon will join this planet a day before Jupiter.
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| Neptune |
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| Uranus |
The outer two planets are best viewed through a telescope but can still be seen through a pair of binoculars. Uranus will continue to be visible all night through December. The Pleiades will be following this ice giant through the sky this month. The Moon will join Uranus on the 14th this month.
Neptune continues to trail behind Jupiter but ahead of Uranus this month. This most distant planet will be joined by 50% lit Moon on the 10th.
Meteor Shower and Comet Leonard
The Earth will find itself being pummeled by two separate meteor showers this month. Unfortunately, the Ursids, which peak on the 22nd, will be washed out by a nearly Full Moon. A few of the brightest meteors may shine through the glare from the Moon, however. The Geminids will fair slightly better on the morning of the 14th. The Moon will be present but a greater distance from the origin of the meteors as compared to the Ursids. The Moon will set around 3 in the morning, making the sky darker and the more dim meteors easier to see. The Geminids are one of the best showers of the year, producing around 150 meteors per hour. This shower is active from December 4th until the 17th, so be sure to watch for them during this 2 week period. The Geminids will appear to radiate from Gemini, which is easy to find in the sky by the pair of bright stars, Castor and Pollux. This constellation rises about the same time as Orion but will be the next constellation to the left, as you face east.
December will also bring the possibility of seeing a comet! Comet Leonard should be visible with the unaided eye by the second week of the month, but will rapidly lose its brightness as the month progresses. The best time to view Comet Leonard is in the morning from the 1st until the 12th of December in the southeast sky. Following the 12th, the best time will be after sunset in the southwest. Be sure to get to a light pollution free sky and a location that you can clearly see the horizon. On the 17th, Comet Leonard will be directly below Venus. For those into astrophotography, you should be able to capture this comet in a long exposure picture.
Spot Me....🕵️
I've had you try to spot quite a few different objects in the night sky, most of which require a telescope. I highly encourage you to try to view Comet Leonard this month. For the best results, get away from all sources of light pollution and have a clear view of the eastern horizon if you are viewing before December 12th, and clear view of the western horizon if you are viewing after the 12th. A telescope or binoculars will increase the detail that can be seen of this comet. A long exposure image should reveal the colors of Leonard's tail.
I also encourage you to view the Geminid Meteor Shower. This is one of the best showers of the year, rivaled only by the Perseids. With up to 150 meteors visible per hour, you are almost guaranteed to see meteors from this shower if you get away from city lights and have a clear sky. I hope to be able to capture some images of Comet Leonard and some meteors to share in January.
Be sure to watch the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which is scheduled to occur on the 22nd at 5:20 AM Utah time. This telescope will be the successor to the Hubble Telescope. JWST will take about 6 months to arrive at its orbit location, be calibrated, and return images to Earth. This telescope is many times larger than Hubble and should allow scientists to discover even more about the cosmos.
Monthly Breakdown
December 02: Moon passes within 1° of Mars
December 04: New Moon 🌑
December 06: Moon passes within 2° of Venus
December 07: Moon passes within 4° of Saturn
December 08: Moon passes within 4° of Jupiter
December 10: First Quarter Moon 🌓
December 10: Moon passes within 4° of Neptune
December 14: Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks
December 14: Moon passes within 2° of Uranus
December 18: Full Moon 🌕
December 21: Winter Solstice
December 22: James Webb Space Telescope launch at 5:20 AM Utah time
December 25: Mars and Antares within 5°
December 26: Last Quarter Moon 🌗
December 28: Mercury and Venus pass within 4°
Remember to follow me on Instagram @CosmicLure01 to receive notifications for new posts. You may also follow me on Twitter @CosmicLure.
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| Now get outside and look up! |
Planet images taken by NASA.
Andrew vs. the Cosmos taken by Jeff Greenland.
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