AstroPlanet (The Blog)

Winter begins on December 21^st when the Winter Solstice occurs. The Winter Solstice occurs when the tilt of the Earth is pointed directly away from the Sun.  This point marks the beginning of Winter.  The Winter Solstice has the shortest amount of daylight and the longest night.

The new moon for December occurs on Sunday, December 9^th.  This makes the weekend of December 8^th-9^th as the best weekend for dark sky viewing.

The Full moon will occur on December 23^rd and will rise within 0°30’ of the planet Mars which will achieve Opposition on the next day, Christmas Eve.  The December 23^rd full moon is known as the “Full Wolf Moon” or the “Full Old Moon” or the “Moon after Yule”.

Due to its proximity to the Sun, Mercury will not be visible until it reappears in the evening sky at the end of the first week on January.  During December Mercury will pass invisibly through 4 constellations.  Mercury starts the month in the constellation Libra, the Balance, and immediately passes into the constellation Scorpius, The Scorpion, on December 2^nd. On the 6^th of December, Mercury will move into the constellation Ophiuchus, The Serpent Bearer, where it will stay until December 18^th when it passed into the constellation Sagittaurius, The Archer.

December 5^th, Venus, The Moon and Spica in close proximity

Venus is the Morning Star all month.  Venus begins December in the constellation Virgo, The Maiden, only about 4°40′ from the star Spica and, on December 11^th, Venus moves into the constellation Libra, The Balance.

Venus and Spica position on December 7^th, 2007

Mars comes into Oppostion on Christmas Eve, December 24^th, 2007

within 4°30" of the Open Cluster M35.

Mars will be in Opposition on December 24^th, Christmas Eve. Do to its proximity to its opposition Mars is visible all night, rising as the sun sets and setting as the sun rises. This is a fantastic time to view Mars since it’s opposition also coincides with it being closest to the Earth in their respective orbits.

The day before opposition on December 23^rd Mars will rise within

0°30’ of the Full Wolf Moon and within 2°30’ of the open cluster

known as M35.

Mars is moving in retrograde motion through the constellation Gemini, The Twins, for almost the entire month. For the later half of the month Mars is in the proximity of M35 and passes into the constellation Taurus, The Bull, on December 30^th.

December 7, 2007 - The position on Jupiter as it disappears into the

glare of the evening sun at sunset.

Jupiter is visible just after sunset for the first two weeks of December, after which it will disappear into the glare of the sun. Jupiter will reappear in the morning after New Years.

Jupiter begins December in the constellation Ophiuchus, The Serpent Bearer, but almost immediately crosses into the constellation Sagittarus, the Archer, on December 2^nd, where it will finish out the year.

Saturn is located in the constellation Leo, The Lion, until the year 2009.

Around midnight on the morning of December 1^st, Saturn will rise

within 2° 30’ of the Last Quarter Moon.

On December 28^th, Saturn will set with 4° of the waning,

gibbous moon.

Uranus is located in the constellation Aquarius, The Water Bearer, until the year 2009.  Uranus may be located in the evening all month and sets around midnight near the beginning of the month. By the end of the month, Uranus will be setting around 10pm.

The position on Uranus, Neptune and the Moon on

December 15^th, 2007

Neptune is located in the constellation Capricornus, The Sea Goat, until the year 2010.  Neptune may be located in the evening all month and sets around 10pm near the beginning of the month. By the end of the month, Neptune will be setting around 8pm.

Pluto is located in the constellation Sagittarius, The Archer, until the year 2023.  Always difficult to see, Pluto will be unobservable behind the glare of the sun and will reappear in the morning sky in early January.

On January 1^st, 2008 Pluto and Jupiter emerge from the morning

glare of sunrise.