BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Saturn will be high in the southern sky as twilight falls in December. The ringed planet will be in the constellation Aquarius about 20 degrees above the bright star Fomalhaut. Saturn will set by 9 p.m. local time, so look for it early in the evening. Titan, the brightest of Saturn's moons, will be north of the planet on Dec. 12 and 28 and south of it on Dec. 4 and 20.
Jupiter will be visible nearly all night in the constellation Aries. Any telescope will show Jupiter's pair of dark equatorial belts straddling the equator. The Great Red Spot will appear, along with more subtle details visible with patient viewing.
Venus will rise shortly before 4 a.m. local time in December, a brilliant white object a few degrees from the bright white star Spica in the constellation Virgo. Venus will continue across the constellation Libra and end the month just short of the constellation Scorpius. On Dec. 31 Venus will be 10 degrees above the red giant star Antares.
Mercury will be 6 degrees high in the southwest 30 minutes after sunset on Dec. 1. It will set after another 40 minutes. In mid-month the planet will quickly drop from view, and it will pass between Earth and the sun on Dec. 22.
Mars will be too close to the sun to observe in December.
Meteor shower
The Geminid meteor shower will be the best shower of the year. It will be active between Dec. 4 and 17, peaking on the night of Dec. 13-14. The moon's light will not interfere. In a clear dark sky the maximum rate may be more than 50 meteors per hour at local midnight. The "shooting stars" will seem to radiate from the constellation Gemini, which will be nearly overhead by 1 a.m. for North American viewers. The best display will be between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Solstice
The sun will reach the December solstice on Dec. 21 at 10:27 p.m. EST, marking the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. For the next six months in the Northern Hemisphere the days will be getting longer.
Moon
The moon will be at last quarter on Dec. 5, new on Dec. 12, at first quarter on Dec. 19, and full on Dec. 26.
Author: Hal Kibbey Email: hkibbey [at] gmail.com
The College of Arts