Here you will find useful observing information about the visible planets,
our Moon and other moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial.
Among these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout.
Animated images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects,
or apparent and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular features include plotting the monthly positions of the
visible planets using heliocentric coordinates; following moon phases; conjunctions; the sun's apparent motion and the Earth's real
motion along the ecliptic.
Scroll down for more web site information, resources, and a link to the previous month issue.
6:50 am CST on 22 December: Jupiter and Mercury in close conjunction
Click on this link to read the Previous Issue of Qué tal? in the Current Skies
December Sky Calendar | ||||
03. Mars at Eastern Quadrature Waning Crescent Moon Near Venus and Spica 05. Waning Crescent Moon Near Mercury 06. Mars Near Neptune 07. New Moon 09. Thin 1.5-day young Waxing Crescent Moon Near Saturn 10. Moon at Descending Node 12. Moon at Apogee: 251,765 miles (405,177 km) 13. Mars and Uranus at Heliocentric Conjunction |
![]() |
14. Geminid Meteor Shower Waxing Crescent Moon Near Mars and Neptune 15. Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation First Quarter Moon 18. Sun Enters the Astronomical Sign of Sagittarius the Archer 20. Waxing Gibbous Moon Near Aldebaran 21.Close Mercury and Jupiter Conjunction December Solstice 5:23 pm EST (22:23 UT) Sun Does not enter the astrological sign of Capricornus |
![]() |
22. Mercury Near Antares Jupiter Near Antares Full Moon Ursid Meteor Shower 23. Venus near Dwarf Planet Ceres 24. Moon at Perigee: 224,352 miles (361,060 km) Moon at Ascending Node 25-26. Moon Near Regulus 29. Last Quarter Moon 30. Waning Crescent Moon near Spica |
Name | December 02 | December 12 | December 22 | |
Mercury | 094o 10' | 150o 19' | 193o 14' | |
Venus | 091o 38' | 107o 49' | 124o 13' | |
Earth | 069o 44' | 079o 54' | 090o 04' | |
Mars | 024o 04' | 030o 01' | 035o 53' | |
Ceres | 284o 55' | 286o 47' | 286o 39' | |
Jupiter | 244o 23' | 245o 10' | 245o 58' | |
Saturn | 280o 35' | 280o 53' | 281o 11' | |
|