Astroblog: Southern Skywatch December, 2016 edition is now out!

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Southern Skywatch December, 2016 edition is now out!

Evening sky on Saturday December 24 looking west as seen from Adelaide at 21:38 ACDST (60 minutes after sunset). Venus and (now dim) Mars form a line with (binocular only) comet 45P and Neptune. Similar views will be seen throughout Australia at the equivalent local time. (click to embiggen).

The December edition of Southern Skywatch is up (a bit late).

This month starts with three bright planets in the evening sky still doing an entrancing planet dance. Venus climbs higher in the evening sky and passes delta Capricornii.

Mars is close to the Moon, on the 5th. Mars is much diminished and meets Neptune on the 31st.

Saturn is lost in the twilight.

Mercury, starts the month prominent in the evening sky the passes through Sagittarius before returning to the twilight.

Jupiter climbs higher in the dawn sky, on the 23rd it is not far from the crescent Moon.

Labels: southern skywatch