Three planets appear in the December 2017 morning sky all month long: Mars, Jupiter and Venus. Whereas Mars and Jupiter light up the predawn hours, Venus hovers closer and closer to the sunrise as the month progresses. Click here for an almanac telling you when these planets rise into your sky.
Two of the five bright planets – Saturn and Mercury – start out the month as evening planets, at least nominally, but are pretty much lost in the glare of sunset. The other three bright planets – Venus, Jupiter and Mars – reside exclusively in the morning sky, before sunup. Mars and Jupiter light up the predawn hours all month long, but Venus rapidly sinks into the glare of sunrise, becoming difficult – if not impossible – to see by early December. Follow the links below to learn more about the planets in December 2017.
Venus, sinking into the glare of sunrise
Jupiter lights up predawn/dawn sky
Mars, above Jupiter, in eastern predawn sky
Saturn sinking into the glare of sunset
Mercury before sunrise in late December
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You won’t see the moon with Venus in December 2018. Last month, in November, when the crescent moon made a triangle with Jupiter (top) and Venus on the morning of November 17, 2017, Venus was rising earlier before sunrise than she will in December. This photo was taken over Valletta Lighthouse from Tigné Point on the island of Malta, by Gilbert Vancell Nature Photography.
Venus, sinking into the glare of sunrise Although Venus ranks as the third-brightest celestial body to light up our sky, after the sun and moon, Venus will be extremely difficult to see this month. Venus sinks closer and closer to the glare of sunrise all through December and passes out of the morning sky in January 2018.
If you don’t catch Venus in the east shortly before sunrise in early December, you may have to wait until February 2018 to catch Venus in the west after sunset. Throughout December, Venus rises only a short while before the sun, and in February 2018, Venus will set a short while after the sun.
Did you see the spectacular conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the morning sky on or around November 13? Ever since, Jupiter has been climbing away from the glare of sunrise day by day while Venus has been falling toward the sunrise daily.
Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter over downtown Denver on November 13, after emerging from the clouds, via Christy Sanchez.
Venus reached a milestone as the morning “star” when it swung out to its greatest elongation from the sun on June 3, 2017. At this juncture, Venus was farthest from the sun on our sky’s dome, and a telescope showed Venus as half-illuminated in sunshine, like a first quarter moon. For the rest of the year, Venus will wax toward full phase.
Click here to know Venus’s exact phase at present, remembering to select Venus as your object of interest.
From mid-northern latitudes (U.S. and Europe), Venus rises about 45 minutes before the sun in early December, and about 5 minutes before sunrise by the month’s end.
At temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia and South Africa), Venus rises about 30 minutes before sunup in early December. By the month’s end, that’ll taper to about 10 minutes.
Click here for recommended almanacs; they can provide rising times of Venus in your sky.
The chart below helps to illustrate why we sometimes see Venus in the evening, and sometimes before dawn.
The Earth and Venus orbit the sun counterclockwise as seen from earthly north. When Venus is to the east (left) of the Earth-sun line, we see Venus as an evening “star” in the west after sunset. After Venus reaches its inferior conjunction, Venus then moves to the west (right) of the Earth-sun line, appearing as a morning “star” in the east before sunrise.
The waning crescent moon helps to guide your eye to the morning spectacle. Aim binoculars at Jupiter to view the star Zubenelgenubi and Jupiter in the same binocular field of view. Look closely and you’ll see that Zubenelgenubi is a double star – two stars in one!
Jupiter lights up predawn/dawn sky. Because Venus is pretty much obscured by the glare of sunrise this month, the king planet Jupiter takes over as the brightest starlike object to adorn the predawn/dawn sky. Look eastward for the most brilliant point of light in the morning sky, and more than likely, that’ll be Jupiter.
This month, Jupiter shines in front of the constellation Libra the Scales and close to Libra’s alpha star, Zubenelgenubi. Use brilliant Jupiter to locate Zubenelgenubi, and then use binoculars to view this star as a double star!
Before dawn, try finding modesty-bright Mars above Jupiter. Mars will be rather close to the 1st-magnitude star Spica at the beginning of December. Then, for the rest of this month, watch the gap between Jupiter and the red planet Mars rapidly come to a close. These two worlds will meet up in front of the constellation Libra for a stunningly close conjunction in the morning sky on January 7, 2018.
Around the time of the Geminid meteor shower, look for the waning crescent moon to pair up with Mars on the morning of December 13 and then with Jupiter on the morning of December 14. (See the sky chart above.)
From mid-northern latitudes, Jupiter rises about two and one-half hours before the sun in early December. By late December, Jupiter will rise about four and one-half hours before sunrise.
Click here for an almanac telling you Jupiter’s rising time in your sky.
Fernando Roquel Torres in Caguas, Puerto Rico captured Jupiter, the Great Red Spot (GRS) and all 4 of its largest moons – the Galilean satellites – on the date of Jupiter’s 2017 opposition (April 7).
If you have binoculars or a telescope, it’s fairly easy to see Jupiter’s four major moons, which look like pinpricks of light all on or near the same plane. They are often called the Galilean moons to honor Galileo, who discovered these great Jovian moons in 1610. In their order from Jupiter, these moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
These moons orbit Jupiter around the Jovian equator. In cycles of six years, we view Jupiter’s equator edge-on. So, in 2015, we were able to view a number of mutual events involving Jupiter’s moons, through high-powered telescopes. Starting in late 2016, Jupiter’s axis began tilting enough toward the sun and Earth so that the farthest of these four moons, Callisto, has not been passing in front of Jupiter or behind Jupiter, as seen from our vantage point. This will continue for a period of about three years, during which time Callisto is perpetually visible to those with telescopes, alternately swinging above and below Jupiter as seen from Earth.
Click here for a Jupiter’s moons almanac, courtesy of skyandtelescope.com.
Mars, Mercury, Earth’s moon and the dwarf planet Ceres. Mars is smaller than Earth, but bigger than our moon. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA.
Later this month, starting on or near the December solstice, an imaginary line from Jupiter through Mars can help guide your eye to Mercury’s place near the horizon. Read more.
Mars, above Jupiter, in eastern predawn sky. Look for Mars to rise in the east well before dawn’s first light. Mars and Jupiter are the only naked-eye planets to grace the predawn sky throughout the month. Jupiter begins the month about 16o below Mars and gets to within 3o of the red planet by the month’s end. (For reference, a fist at an arm length spans about 10o of sky.) Mars and Jupiter will finally meet up for a conjunction on January 7, 2018.
It’s best to look for Mars before dawn (approximately one and one-half hours before sunrise) because this second-magnitude gem is only modestly bright right now. Mars is nowhere as brilliant as Jupiter, which outshines Mars by over 20 times in December. Jupiter is even visible in a twilight sky.
Be sure to let the waning crescent moon help guide your eye to Mars (and Jupiter) on the mornings of December 13 and 14, at which time the Geminid meteor shower should be at or near its peak.
Later this month, starting around the December solstice, an imaginary line from Jupiter through Mars can help guide your eye to Mercury’s place near the horizon. Look for Mercury over the sunrise point on the horizon as the predawn darkness begins to give way to dawn. (See the sky chart above.)
Exactly one year after Mars’s superior conjunction on July 27, 2017, Mars will swing to opposition on July 27, 2018. This will be Mars’s best opposition since its historically close opposition on August 28, 2003. In fact, Mars will become the fourth-brightest heavenly body to light up the sky in July 2018, after the sun, moon and the planet Venus. It’s not often that Mars outshines Jupiter, normally the fourth-brightest celestial body.
James Martin in Albuquerque, New Mexico caught this wonderful photo of Saturn on its June 15, 2017 opposition.
The morning conjunction of Mercury and Saturn on January 13, 2018, may well be your first opportunity to view Saturn in the morning sky. Read more.
Saturn sinking into the glare of sunset. On these early December evenings, look for Saturn shortly after sunset. It’s low in the southwest sky. Saturn will transition out of the evening sky and into the morning sky on the December solstice, and probably won’t be seen in the morning sky until mid-January 2018.
From mid-northern latitudes (US and Europe), Saturn sets about 70 minutes after sunset in early December and sets with the sun around the December 21 solstice.
From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa, southern Australia), Saturn sets about 80 minutes after sunset in early December and sets with the sun around the December 21 solstice.
Saturn, the farthest world that you can easily view with the eye alone, appears golden in color. It shines with a steady light.
Binoculars don’t reveal Saturn’s gorgeous rings, by the way, although binoculars will enhance Saturn’s color. To see the rings, you need a small telescope. A telescope will also reveal one or more of Saturn’s many moons, most notably Titan.
Saturn’s rings are now inclined at nearly 27o from edge-on, exhibiting their northern face. In 2017, the north side of the rings opened up most widely since since the last grand opening in 1988. The next maximum exposure of the north side of Saturn’s rings will take place in 2046.
As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27o by May 2032.
Click here for recommended almanacs; they can help you know when the planets rise, transit and set in your sky.
November 21, 2017 photo of the waxing crescent moon, Saturn and Mercury in the evening sky via Annie Lewis in Madrid, Spain.
You won’t see the moon close to Mercury or Saturn in December 2017. But you can use
the lit side of the moon to find Mercury and Saturn pairing up together in the morning sky on January 12, 13 and 14, 2018. Read more.
Mercury before sunrise in late December. It might be possible to catch Mercury in the evening sky in early December and then in the morning sky in late December. But it won’t be easy to catch Mercury in the evening sky (especially at northerly latitudes) and your chances of spotting Mercury in the evening sky plunge rapidly after the first of the month. Mercury and Saturn had a conjunction in the evening sky on November 28, 2017, and will have another conjunction in the evening sky on December 6, 2017, which will be much harder to see. A third conjunction of these two worlds will take place in the morning sky on January 13, 2018.
For the most part, your best shot of catching Mercury will be in the morning sky, for several weeks centered around January 1, 2018. Although this apparition of Mercury in the morning sky slightly favors the Northern Hemisphere, this world should be fairly easy to see around the world in late December 2017 and early January 2018.
Mercury is tricky, even when it becomes visible. If you look too early, Mercury will still be under the horizon; if you look too late, it will be obscured by morning twilight. Watch for Mercury low in the sky, and near the sunrise point on the horizon, being mindful of Mercury’s rising time.
You won’t see the moon close to Mercury (or Saturn) this month, but you can use the lit part of the moon to find Mercury pairing up with Saturn on the mornings of January 12, 13 and 14. (See above sky chart.)
What do we mean by bright planet? By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that is easily visible without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the five bright planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets actually do appear bright in our sky. They are typically as bright as – or brighter than – the brightest stars. Plus, these relatively nearby worlds tend to shine with a steadier light than the distant, twinkling stars. You can spot them, and come to know them as faithful friends, if you try.
This image is from February 8, 2016. It shows all 5 bright planets at once. Photo by our friend Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.
Skywatcher, by Predrag Agatonovic.
Bottom line: In December 2017, two of the five bright planets – Saturn and Mercury – nominally reign as evening planets in early December, but transition over to the morning sky by the end of the month. The other three bright planets – Venus, Mars and Jupiter – are found in the morning sky, before sunup.
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Enjoy knowing where to look in the night sky? Please donate to help EarthSky keep going.
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Three planets appear in the December 2017 morning sky all month long: Mars, Jupiter and Venus. Whereas Mars and Jupiter light up the predawn hours, Venus hovers closer and closer to the sunrise as the month progresses. Click here for an almanac telling you when these planets rise into your sky.
Two of the five bright planets – Saturn and Mercury – start out the month as evening planets, at least nominally, but are pretty much lost in the glare of sunset. The other three bright planets – Venus, Jupiter and Mars – reside exclusively in the morning sky, before sunup. Mars and Jupiter light up the predawn hours all month long, but Venus rapidly sinks into the glare of sunrise, becoming difficult – if not impossible – to see by early December. Follow the links below to learn more about the planets in December 2017.
Venus, sinking into the glare of sunrise
Jupiter lights up predawn/dawn sky
Mars, above Jupiter, in eastern predawn sky
Saturn sinking into the glare of sunset
Mercury before sunrise in late December
EarthSky’s 2018 lunar calendars are here! Get yours while they last.
Like what EarthSky offers? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!
Astronomy events, star parties, festivals, workshops
Visit a new EarthSky feature – Best Places to Stargaze – and add your fav.
You won’t see the moon with Venus in December 2018. Last month, in November, when the crescent moon made a triangle with Jupiter (top) and Venus on the morning of November 17, 2017, Venus was rising earlier before sunrise than she will in December. This photo was taken over Valletta Lighthouse from Tigné Point on the island of Malta, by Gilbert Vancell Nature Photography.
Venus, sinking into the glare of sunrise Although Venus ranks as the third-brightest celestial body to light up our sky, after the sun and moon, Venus will be extremely difficult to see this month. Venus sinks closer and closer to the glare of sunrise all through December and passes out of the morning sky in January 2018.
If you don’t catch Venus in the east shortly before sunrise in early December, you may have to wait until February 2018 to catch Venus in the west after sunset. Throughout December, Venus rises only a short while before the sun, and in February 2018, Venus will set a short while after the sun.
Did you see the spectacular conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in the morning sky on or around November 13? Ever since, Jupiter has been climbing away from the glare of sunrise day by day while Venus has been falling toward the sunrise daily.
Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter over downtown Denver on November 13, after emerging from the clouds, via Christy Sanchez.
Venus reached a milestone as the morning “star” when it swung out to its greatest elongation from the sun on June 3, 2017. At this juncture, Venus was farthest from the sun on our sky’s dome, and a telescope showed Venus as half-illuminated in sunshine, like a first quarter moon. For the rest of the year, Venus will wax toward full phase.
Click here to know Venus’s exact phase at present, remembering to select Venus as your object of interest.
From mid-northern latitudes (U.S. and Europe), Venus rises about 45 minutes before the sun in early December, and about 5 minutes before sunrise by the month’s end.
At temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (Australia and South Africa), Venus rises about 30 minutes before sunup in early December. By the month’s end, that’ll taper to about 10 minutes.
Click here for recommended almanacs; they can provide rising times of Venus in your sky.
The chart below helps to illustrate why we sometimes see Venus in the evening, and sometimes before dawn.
The Earth and Venus orbit the sun counterclockwise as seen from earthly north. When Venus is to the east (left) of the Earth-sun line, we see Venus as an evening “star” in the west after sunset. After Venus reaches its inferior conjunction, Venus then moves to the west (right) of the Earth-sun line, appearing as a morning “star” in the east before sunrise.
The waning crescent moon helps to guide your eye to the morning spectacle. Aim binoculars at Jupiter to view the star Zubenelgenubi and Jupiter in the same binocular field of view. Look closely and you’ll see that Zubenelgenubi is a double star – two stars in one!
Jupiter lights up predawn/dawn sky. Because Venus is pretty much obscured by the glare of sunrise this month, the king planet Jupiter takes over as the brightest starlike object to adorn the predawn/dawn sky. Look eastward for the most brilliant point of light in the morning sky, and more than likely, that’ll be Jupiter.
This month, Jupiter shines in front of the constellation Libra the Scales and close to Libra’s alpha star, Zubenelgenubi. Use brilliant Jupiter to locate Zubenelgenubi, and then use binoculars to view this star as a double star!
Before dawn, try finding modesty-bright Mars above Jupiter. Mars will be rather close to the 1st-magnitude star Spica at the beginning of December. Then, for the rest of this month, watch the gap between Jupiter and the red planet Mars rapidly come to a close. These two worlds will meet up in front of the constellation Libra for a stunningly close conjunction in the morning sky on January 7, 2018.
Around the time of the Geminid meteor shower, look for the waning crescent moon to pair up with Mars on the morning of December 13 and then with Jupiter on the morning of December 14. (See the sky chart above.)
From mid-northern latitudes, Jupiter rises about two and one-half hours before the sun in early December. By late December, Jupiter will rise about four and one-half hours before sunrise.
Click here for an almanac telling you Jupiter’s rising time in your sky.
Fernando Roquel Torres in Caguas, Puerto Rico captured Jupiter, the Great Red Spot (GRS) and all 4 of its largest moons – the Galilean satellites – on the date of Jupiter’s 2017 opposition (April 7).
If you have binoculars or a telescope, it’s fairly easy to see Jupiter’s four major moons, which look like pinpricks of light all on or near the same plane. They are often called the Galilean moons to honor Galileo, who discovered these great Jovian moons in 1610. In their order from Jupiter, these moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
These moons orbit Jupiter around the Jovian equator. In cycles of six years, we view Jupiter’s equator edge-on. So, in 2015, we were able to view a number of mutual events involving Jupiter’s moons, through high-powered telescopes. Starting in late 2016, Jupiter’s axis began tilting enough toward the sun and Earth so that the farthest of these four moons, Callisto, has not been passing in front of Jupiter or behind Jupiter, as seen from our vantage point. This will continue for a period of about three years, during which time Callisto is perpetually visible to those with telescopes, alternately swinging above and below Jupiter as seen from Earth.
Click here for a Jupiter’s moons almanac, courtesy of skyandtelescope.com.
Mars, Mercury, Earth’s moon and the dwarf planet Ceres. Mars is smaller than Earth, but bigger than our moon. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA.
Later this month, starting on or near the December solstice, an imaginary line from Jupiter through Mars can help guide your eye to Mercury’s place near the horizon. Read more.
Mars, above Jupiter, in eastern predawn sky. Look for Mars to rise in the east well before dawn’s first light. Mars and Jupiter are the only naked-eye planets to grace the predawn sky throughout the month. Jupiter begins the month about 16o below Mars and gets to within 3o of the red planet by the month’s end. (For reference, a fist at an arm length spans about 10o of sky.) Mars and Jupiter will finally meet up for a conjunction on January 7, 2018.
It’s best to look for Mars before dawn (approximately one and one-half hours before sunrise) because this second-magnitude gem is only modestly bright right now. Mars is nowhere as brilliant as Jupiter, which outshines Mars by over 20 times in December. Jupiter is even visible in a twilight sky.
Be sure to let the waning crescent moon help guide your eye to Mars (and Jupiter) on the mornings of December 13 and 14, at which time the Geminid meteor shower should be at or near its peak.
Later this month, starting around the December solstice, an imaginary line from Jupiter through Mars can help guide your eye to Mercury’s place near the horizon. Look for Mercury over the sunrise point on the horizon as the predawn darkness begins to give way to dawn. (See the sky chart above.)
Exactly one year after Mars’s superior conjunction on July 27, 2017, Mars will swing to opposition on July 27, 2018. This will be Mars’s best opposition since its historically close opposition on August 28, 2003. In fact, Mars will become the fourth-brightest heavenly body to light up the sky in July 2018, after the sun, moon and the planet Venus. It’s not often that Mars outshines Jupiter, normally the fourth-brightest celestial body.
James Martin in Albuquerque, New Mexico caught this wonderful photo of Saturn on its June 15, 2017 opposition.
The morning conjunction of Mercury and Saturn on January 13, 2018, may well be your first opportunity to view Saturn in the morning sky. Read more.
Saturn sinking into the glare of sunset. On these early December evenings, look for Saturn shortly after sunset. It’s low in the southwest sky. Saturn will transition out of the evening sky and into the morning sky on the December solstice, and probably won’t be seen in the morning sky until mid-January 2018.
From mid-northern latitudes (US and Europe), Saturn sets about 70 minutes after sunset in early December and sets with the sun around the December 21 solstice.
From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (South Africa, southern Australia), Saturn sets about 80 minutes after sunset in early December and sets with the sun around the December 21 solstice.
Saturn, the farthest world that you can easily view with the eye alone, appears golden in color. It shines with a steady light.
Binoculars don’t reveal Saturn’s gorgeous rings, by the way, although binoculars will enhance Saturn’s color. To see the rings, you need a small telescope. A telescope will also reveal one or more of Saturn’s many moons, most notably Titan.
Saturn’s rings are now inclined at nearly 27o from edge-on, exhibiting their northern face. In 2017, the north side of the rings opened up most widely since since the last grand opening in 1988. The next maximum exposure of the north side of Saturn’s rings will take place in 2046.
As with so much in space (and on Earth), the appearance of Saturn’s rings from Earth is cyclical. In the year 2025, the rings will appear edge-on as seen from Earth. After that, we’ll begin to see the south side of Saturn’s rings, to increase to a maximum inclination of 27o by May 2032.
Click here for recommended almanacs; they can help you know when the planets rise, transit and set in your sky.
November 21, 2017 photo of the waxing crescent moon, Saturn and Mercury in the evening sky via Annie Lewis in Madrid, Spain.
You won’t see the moon close to Mercury or Saturn in December 2017. But you can use
the lit side of the moon to find Mercury and Saturn pairing up together in the morning sky on January 12, 13 and 14, 2018. Read more.
Mercury before sunrise in late December. It might be possible to catch Mercury in the evening sky in early December and then in the morning sky in late December. But it won’t be easy to catch Mercury in the evening sky (especially at northerly latitudes) and your chances of spotting Mercury in the evening sky plunge rapidly after the first of the month. Mercury and Saturn had a conjunction in the evening sky on November 28, 2017, and will have another conjunction in the evening sky on December 6, 2017, which will be much harder to see. A third conjunction of these two worlds will take place in the morning sky on January 13, 2018.
For the most part, your best shot of catching Mercury will be in the morning sky, for several weeks centered around January 1, 2018. Although this apparition of Mercury in the morning sky slightly favors the Northern Hemisphere, this world should be fairly easy to see around the world in late December 2017 and early January 2018.
Mercury is tricky, even when it becomes visible. If you look too early, Mercury will still be under the horizon; if you look too late, it will be obscured by morning twilight. Watch for Mercury low in the sky, and near the sunrise point on the horizon, being mindful of Mercury’s rising time.
You won’t see the moon close to Mercury (or Saturn) this month, but you can use the lit part of the moon to find Mercury pairing up with Saturn on the mornings of January 12, 13 and 14. (See above sky chart.)
What do we mean by bright planet? By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that is easily visible without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. In their outward order from the sun, the five bright planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets actually do appear bright in our sky. They are typically as bright as – or brighter than – the brightest stars. Plus, these relatively nearby worlds tend to shine with a steadier light than the distant, twinkling stars. You can spot them, and come to know them as faithful friends, if you try.
This image is from February 8, 2016. It shows all 5 bright planets at once. Photo by our friend Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona.
Skywatcher, by Predrag Agatonovic.
Bottom line: In December 2017, two of the five bright planets – Saturn and Mercury – nominally reign as evening planets in early December, but transition over to the morning sky by the end of the month. The other three bright planets – Venus, Mars and Jupiter – are found in the morning sky, before sunup.
Don’t miss anything. Subscribe to EarthSky News by email
Enjoy knowing where to look in the night sky? Please donate to help EarthSky keep going.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/IJfHCr
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