BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Jupiter will make its best appearance in a decade for northern observers in December. Joining the giant planet in late evening will be Mars. Saturn will be visible in the early evening, along with Venus soon after sunset. Mercury will make a fine morning appearance.
Venus will shine brilliantly right after sunset. It will start the month in the constellation Sagittarius, move into Capricornus on Dec. 6, and reach Aquarius by Dec. 31.
Saturn will appear 40 degrees high in the south among the stars of Aquarius as soon as the evening sky is dark. The ringed planet will set shortly before midnight on Dec. 1 and by 10 p.m. on Dec. 31, so try to observe it in the two to three hours after sunset. Titan, Saturn's largest moon, will be an easy target for any telescope. It will be near the planet on Dec. 5/6, 13/14, 21/22, and 29/30.
Jupiter will reach opposition on Dec. 7. It will rise around 5 p.m. local time on Dec. 1 and be visible all night. Located in the constellation Taurus, Jupiter will climb to 70 degrees altitude at local midnight, dominating a sky already brilliant with winter constellations. A full rotation can be observed in one night.
Mars will rise at 8:30 p.m. local time on Dec. 1 and stand more than 30 degrees high in the east by midnight in the constellation Cancer.
Mercury will appear in the morning sky and will be 3 degrees high in the east 50 minutes before sunrise. On the last day of 2024, Mercury will rise one hour and 40 minutes before the sun and be clearly visible in the predawn sky.
Moon phases
The moon will be new on Dec. 1, at first quarter on Dec. 8, full on Dec. 15, at last quarter on Dec. 22, and new again on Dec. 30.
Author: Hal Kibbey Email: hkibbey [at] gmail.com
The College of Arts