Dec. 1, the moon is 1.6 degrees south of Pollux, one of the Gemini twins. The moon reaches apogee of 404,346 kilometres (the furthest distance from Earth in its orbit) Dec. 4. By Dec. 9, Venus shares the morning sky with the waning crescent moon. New moon is Dec. 12. Dec. 17, Saturn is in the picture, glowing two degrees to the north of our waxing crescent satellite. Jupiter is three degrees south Dec. 22, with the moon showing a waxing gibbous phase. Dec. 24, The Pleiades share the night sky with the moon.
Mercury is an evening object for the first of the month, but viewing becomes increasingly more difficult, until by Dec. 15, the sun’s glare overpowers the tiny planet.
Venus is prominent in the eastern morning pre-dawn sky. The waning crescent moon glides by Dec. 9.
Mars is too close to the sun to be seen.
Jupiter shines in the eastern evening sky, continuing its retrograde motion against the stars of Aries. Dec. 22, the waxing gibbous moon glides by. There are two double shadow transits by Jupiter’s moons Dec. 23 and the 30.
Saturn is in the western evening sky after dusk among the stars of Aquarius, but sets near 9 p.m. The moon is in conjunction Dec. 17, two degrees south of the Ringed Planet.
Uranus is high in the southern sky after sunset, remaining visible until early morning. The moon is within three degrees Dec. 22, not far away from Jupiter to the south and the Pleiades to the northeast.
Neptune is in Pisces on the evening of Dec. 23, the four outer planets form a line to the southeast, in order from the southwest, Saturn, Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus trailing the moon.
Winter solstice is on the evening of Dec. 21.
The Ursid meteors peak Dec. 22 at midnight.
James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000, was national president for two terms, is now the editor of the Observer’s Handbook, and production manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal. The IAU named asteroid 1995 XC5 “(22421) Jamesedgar” in his honour and in 2021 he was awarded a Fellowship of the RASC.
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