Dec. 2 - 1:30 am* (full)
Dec. 8 - 6:13 pm* (quarter)
Dec. 16 - 6:02 am* (new)
Dec. 24 - 11:36 am* (quarter)
Dec. 31 - 1:13 pm* (full)
* Lunar phase times are listed for the U.S. Central Time Zone.
Orion is in splendid view on December nights, already peeking into view as night falls, with the brilliant stars of the Winter Circle looping around orange Betelgeuse. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, shimmers icily in the south, with perhaps a glimpse of the second-brightest star, Canopus, farther south.
Mars is moving into the evening sky and shines brightest for the year — about twice as bright on the last night of the month as on the first. It looks like a bright orange star near Regulus, the brightest star of Leo.
5-7 - The Moon passes Mars and Regulus. They rise in late evening. Mars and Regulus align below the Moon on the 5th, the trio forms a bright triangle on the night of the 6th, and Regulus and Mars stand above the Moon on the night of the 7th.
9-10 - Saturn, which looks like a bright golden star, is to the left of the Moon at first light on the 9th, and above the Moon on the 10th.
18 - Mercury hunkers below the Moon early this evening. They are quite low in the southwest about 45 minutes after sunset. Binoculars will enhance the view.
20-21 - Jupiter huddles close to the Moon. The brilliant planet is to the upper left of the Moon at nightfall on the 20th, and directly below it on the 21st. Through a telescope, Neptune is visible barely to Jupiter’s upper left. 21 - The December solstice, which marks the start of winter in the northern hemisphere, occurs at 11:47 a.m. CST.
31 - A partial lunar eclipse is visible across Alaska today. The eclipse will miss the rest of the United States.
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