December 2013 Celestial Highlights

December Sky

Early December - 8:30 p.m. 

Late December - 7:30 p.m. 

Geminid Meteor Shower: December 13 after 8:00 p.m. until dawn on December 14. Look high in the east.  The bright waxing gibbous Moon greatly hinders the meteor count.

SUN reaches Winter Solstice in the constellation Sagittarius on December 21 at 12:11 a.m. Winter begins in the northern hemisphere.

MOON attains a distant sub moon status on the night of December 16. Smallest full Moon of 2013.

Visible Planets:

MERCURY lost in the solar glare.  

VENUS low in the southeast 45 minutes after sunset. Next to the waxing thin crescent Moon on December 5. Reaches greatest brilliancy on December 10.

MARS rises after 1 a.m. at the beginning of December and at 12:30 a.m. at the end of the month. Next to the third quarter Moon on December 25 and 26.

JUPITER rises in the east-northeast before 8 p.m. at the beginning of December and before 6 p.m. near the end of the month. Very close to the near full Moon on December 18. 

SATURN rises in the southeast at 5:30 a.m. at the beginning of December and after 3:30 a.m. at the end of the month. Near the waning crescent Moon on December 28 and 29.  

Use the Big Dipper to locate:

The North Star

Cassiopeia

Capella

Use the Great Square of Pegasus to locate:

Fomalhaut

Deneb Kaitos

Altair

To use this map:

Face south and hold the map above your head. Place the zenith directly overhead. The stars on the map will match those in the sky.

Such is our view from Earth…