December 2020 Guide to the Brightest Planets | Astronomical Essentials

Click on a planet to see more about its visibility in December 2020: Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury

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Are you an early riser? Then, on December 10, 2020, look for the moon near the bright star Spica, twice the height of the dazzling planet Venus. read more.

Take a look at the thin fallen crescent moon to join the dazzling Venus in the morning sky for several days centered around December 12, 2020. read more.

Look at the waxing crescent moon near Jupiter and Saturn on December 16 and 17, 2020. Enjoy Thursday and Saturday during this month. They will reach them Excellent connection On December 21, the moon will appear only 1/5 of its diameter. read more.

Look at the waxing gypsum moon near Mars near Mars in the dome of the sky centered on or near December 23, 2020. Note: The moon appears to be much larger in our table than it is in the actual sky. read more.

Until January 2021 you will not see Mercury, the inner planet. May the young moon help you find Mercury after sunset on January 14, 15 and 16, 2021. read more.

Thursday And Saturn Come out first at night in December 2020 and will continue to do so until the end of the year. Although these two worlds are lowered into the southwest sky, they appear bright and beautiful at night. Day by day, the night sky appears a little lower, setting soon after dark. To see these worlds, find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset and look for them less in the sky as darkness falls.

For the first time since 2000, Jupiter and Saturn a Excellent connection This year, on December 21, 2020. The great conjunctions of these two giant worlds occur every 20 years, but this year’s event will be the closest Jupiter-Saturn link from this year 1623. Astronomers use this word Merging To describe the clusters of planets and other objects in the dome of our sky. They use this word Excellent connection To describe the meeting of Jupiter and Saturn. The last major Jupiter-Saturn fusion was May 28, 2000. The next is December 21, 2020. For the first three weeks of December 2020 look at how close and close these worlds are on the edge.

Read more: An excellent link to Jupiter and Saturn before the end of 2020

If you have a telescope, it is a good idea to use it on Thursdays and Saturdays when it is very dark at night. In other words, you need to catch them soon after sunset. In general, the vision of Jupiter’s four major moons and Saturn’s famous rings through the telescope is sharp, when these worlds are higher than downward. The thickness of the Earth’s atmosphere near the horizon obscures the view of Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s rings.

Positions of Jupiter’s moons via Sky & Telescope

Look at Brilliant Jupiter first; Saturn is the brightest object immediately east of Jupiter for the first three weeks of December. Although Saturn is easily bright 1st level star – Bright as the brightest stars in our sky – The curved planet cannot compete with the planet Jupiter, which reveals Saturn 11 times. After all, Jupiter has always been the fourth brightest celestial body after the Sun, Moon and Venus respectively (Mars is temporarily the fourth brightest celestial body and Jupiter is the fifth brightest – in October 2020).

Look at the moon near Jupiter and Saturn for a few days December 16 and 17.

If you notice an object in the sky after sunset, it may be a very bright Jupiter. This planet illuminates all the stars, and it is close to another bright planet, Saturn. You can’t miss both of these. Thursday and Saturday nights are the highest until nightfall. Before the end of 2020, Thursday and Saturday a Excellent connection.

Tuesday Lords over the southeastern sky as darkness falls in December from the northeastern latitudes. From the southern hemisphere, Mars is more visible at night in the northern sky. Its fiery-red glow illuminates past midnight. In October 2020, Mars was brighter than it had been until September 2035. That is why – on October 13, 2020 – Mars reached the resistance in our sky when it was facing the sun as seen from Earth. In opposition, the Earth was spreading between Mars and the Sun. Now – in its small, fast orbit – the Earth is now moving rapidly and leaving Mars. Thus, in the coming months, Mars will slowly but surely fade into our night time sky.

Still, Tuesday is bright and beautiful throughout December. Let the moon help guide your eye for many nights centered on or near Mars December 23.

See EarthSky social photos. | Paul Armstrong, who took this photo of Mars, Saturn and Jupiter on the morning of April 15, 2020, is from Exmor, UK Jupiter is on the upper right, Mars is on the left and Saturn is between them. In May 2020, Jupiter and Saturn were close together, while Mars was farther away than Jupiter and Saturn. Thanks, Paul!

Friday – Bright planet – reached its greatest length from the sun in the morning sky August 12 or 13 (Depending on your time zone). But dazzling Venus will be bright and beautiful as a “star” in the morning later this year and in the first few months of 2021.

In northern latitudes, Venus rises 2 1/2 hours before the sun in early December, which drops to about 1 1/2 hours by the end of the month.

Near and near the equator, Venus rises 1 5/6 hours before the sun in early December, which decreases by 1 1/2 hours by the end of the month.

At temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, Venus rises slightly less than 1 1/2 hours to the sun throughout December.

Inferior Merging – When Venus clears between the Sun and the Earth – 2020 took place on June 3rd. About 10 weeks later, on the morning of August 13, 2020, Venus reached its greatest length (when its disk glowed 50% in sunlight). In December 2020, Venus will begin the 89% luminous month and then complete the 94% luminous month. Picture via UCLA.

Throughout December, Venus travels farther from Earth in a faster orbit around the Sun. When viewed through a telescope, Venus’ wax gibbous grid expands, but its overall disk size shrinks. Venus’ disk is 89% glowing in early December, and 94% glowing by the end of the month; Friday ‘ Angular diameterOn the other hand, it will shrink to 91% of its initial volume by late December.

The waning crescent moon is centered, shining with Venus in the morning sky for several days December 12.

Wednesday This month is not easy to catch up from all over the world. Wednesday starts the month in the morning sky and ends the month in the evening sky. Look at this world in your western sky after sunset in January 2021.

Until January 2021 you will not see Mercury, the inner planet. May the young moon help you find Mercury after sunset on January 14, 15 and 16, 2021. read more.

What is a bright planet? By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that can be easily seen without optical assistance, as seen from ancient times by our ancestors. In their outer order from the Sun, there are five bright planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. These planets will actually appear bright in our sky. They are usually as bright as bright stars – or brighter. In addition, these worlds tend to be relatively close Shine with constant light Than distant, twinkling stars. If you try, you can find them and get to know them as true friends.

Skywatch, written by Frederick Agadonovic.

Bottom line: December 2020 presents three brightest planets in the evening sky: Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, and in the morning sky they are all the brightest planet: Venus. Thursday and Saturday coincide on December 21 once every 20 years.

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