4/12/2023 0 Comments Skychart jan2018By the end of December, Jupiter dips below 20° around 7 P.M. Jupiter’s 37"-diameter disk looks great through a telescope - your best views will be as twilight descends and for the first hour or so after dark. 8, while Jupiter stands 10° west of the Moon on Dec. The waxing Moon stands below Jupiter on Dec. It shines at magnitude –2.3, but quickly dims 0.1 magnitude and then crosses into Aquarius Dec. Jupiter starts December in the eastern part of Capricornus, about 16.5° east of Saturn. The fainter moons become more difficult to find in poor seeing conditions when the planet is at low altitude. The easiest of Saturn’s moons to spot is Titan, shining at magnitude 8. Saturn’s disk spans 16" the long axis of its rings span 35" and tilts 19° to our line of sight. In late December, Saturn is too low for good views in a dark sky. The ringed planet is best during the first half of the month, when it remains above about 20° altitude for up to an hour after twilight ends. Grab your last telescopic view of Saturn and its rings for the year. Saturn joins Venus in the evening sky, shining a much fainter magnitude 0.6. Check them out 45 minutes after local sunset. By New Year’s Eve, Mercury stands 1° higher than Venus. 28 - 4° apart - with Mercury shining at magnitude –0.8. 26, when it stands less than 6° below Venus. This fast transformation occurs when Venus approaches inferior conjunction, which occurs early in 2022.Īs Venus gets lower late in December, Mercury appears out of the Sun’s glare. 1, it shows a 28-percent-lit crescent spanning 39". Track Venus with a telescope to view its changing form. The next day, Venus halts its easterly trek against the starry background just short of the Capricornus border and sinks back into twilight. The comet remains low in altitude for the next week, and like all comets, it will be best recorded in photographs. If the comet is brighter than predictions, it may just reach visibility to the unaided eye and even sport a short tail. Scan the region with binoculars for the fuzzy glow of the comet’s coma. 15 and 16 - after it appears in the evening sky - will give a good indication whether or not it will be easily visible. As Venus slowly approaches the Capricornus border in mid-December, an interloper, Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard), might be visible nearby if it reaches binocular brightness or better (magnitude 5). This unmistakable brilliant jewel lies in eastern Sagittarius, featuring in all evening photographic compositions of the broad Milky Way.Ī waxing crescent Moon, complete with earthshine, joins Venus Dec. 4, when it shines at magnitude –4.9, easily piercing the bright twilight. The first planet to appear after sunset is Venus, hanging low in the southwest. Capture the top features of the solar system in one evening by spotting the changing phase of Venus the spectacular rings of Saturn and the remarkably dynamic jovian atmosphere, its Great Red Spot, and Jupiter’s four bright moons. December’s early-evening sky offers a slew of planetary views, beginning with Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter - all on show soon after sunset.
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