Volume 30 Issue 12
December 2024
December 2024
Month at a Glance:
This month This month the inner planet Mercury moves out from superior conjunction into the evening skies for the last half of the month joining Venus as an evening planet. Mars rises in the late evening amongst the stars of Cancer and begins its retrograde motion this month. Jupiter reaches opposition this month and so will be visible from sunset to sunrise. Watch for Saturn to be visble above the southern horizon at sunset.
December is a season changing month according to the Astronomical calendars. In the Northern Hemisphere December 21st is when the Sun reaches the celestial position that, relative to the Earth's surface, places it over the Tropic of Capricorn, at 23.5oS. This is the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Geminid meteor shower will peak on December 14, however the near full Moon will be up all night interfering with seeing the Geminids.
Click here for the month at a glance calendar.
What is this? "It's a prediction of when Lees Summit, MO, will have good weather for astronomical observing." Click on the graphic to go to the Clear Sky web site.
This month This month the inner planet Mercury moves out from superior conjunction into the evening skies for the last half of the month joining Venus as an evening planet. Mars rises in the late evening amongst the stars of Cancer and begins its retrograde motion this month. Jupiter reaches opposition this month and so will be visible from sunset to sunrise. Watch for Saturn to be visble above the southern horizon at sunset.
December is a season changing month according to the Astronomical calendars. In the Northern Hemisphere December 21st is when the Sun reaches the celestial position that, relative to the Earth's surface, places it over the Tropic of Capricorn, at 23.5oS. This is the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the opposite in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Geminid meteor shower will peak on December 14, however the near full Moon will be up all night interfering with seeing the Geminids.
Click here for the month at a glance calendar.
What is this? "It's a prediction of when Lees Summit, MO, will have good weather for astronomical observing." Click on the graphic to go to the Clear Sky web site.
Mercury moves out from inferior conjunction into the morning skies rising ahead of the Sun, as ot moves toward its greatest western elongation on the 25th.
Venus continues to shine very brightly over the western hrizon at sunset local time as it moves toward its greates eastern elongation early next month/year.
Mars is visible throughout the night hours as it begins its retrograde motion amonsgt the stars of the constellation Cancer the Crab. Throughout the next month or so Mars will be at its best viewing as it moves toward opposition next month/year.
Dwarf Planet Ceres rises during the afternoon and sets close to the time for sunset local time. So that plus it has an apparent magnitude greater than 8.0 makes it not visible this month.
Jupiter Jupiter reaches opposition on the 7th and will be visible all night. Jupiter is also in retrograde motion crossing the stars of Taurus the Bull as it appears to orbit toward the west.
Saturn is over the southwestern horizon at sunset, setting 2-3 hours after the Sun sets. Watch for a conjunction with the much brighter Venus on the 7th-8th.
Uranus is over the southwestern horizon at sunset and sets 2-3 hours after the Sun sets. This ringed planet has an apparent magnitude less than 6.0 meaning that in dark skies it may be binocular visible.
