December 2024 Sky Chart
December 2024 Notes
★ About 90 minutes after Sunset ★
Planets
Venus is in the west and sets about 3 hours after the Sun—you can't miss it because of its brightness. Saturn is about halfway up in the southwest while Jupiter is halfway up in the east. Saturn’s rings are fairly edge on making it a little disappointing to view in a telescope. Mars, in Gemini rises in the east about 3 hours after the Sun, and is bright, and will rival the star Sirius in brightest during January 2025.
Constellations
Orion is right on the eastern horizon and rising. Its 3 belt stars are vertical as they rise. And, they point down to the star Sirius but it will be a few hours before Sirius rises. Mars rises farther to the south when Sirius rises. Watch the brightness of Mars as it will brighten to the same magnitude as Sirius by mid-January. Sirius is the brightest star in the whole sky and its brightness is mainly due to the fact that it is relatively close to us. About halfway up, due east is the Pleiades—click on its name for more information.
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Useful anywhere in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere including the continental US, Hawaii, Europe, Japan, etc. Optimized for 1.5 hours after sunset but can be used for several hours after that. Indicates visible planets and best objects for binoculars and telescopes. Packed with facts, mythology, Moon phases, meteor showers and more. For other months, see the archive below.
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