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Solar Almanac of the Heavens: This month's events in astronomy.

The Solar Almanac

This month's events in astronomy.

 
Highlights
 
Planets Meet in Scorpion's Head
On December 10, the planets Mercury, Mars & Jupiter will converge in Scorpius. Look for them in the ESE in the hour before sunrise. Jupiter is bright and easiest to spot in the Sun's glare. Check the calendar (below) for more details.

 

 31 days hath December 2006. 

This almanac was computed for the customer at:

Location:

somewhere in North America

Latitude:

40°00'00" N

Longitude:

100°00'00" W

Color Key:  event occurs in daylight   moonlit night   starry night 

 All times are CT. 

Friday
1
December 2006
03:45:42  Moonset.
07:42:40  Sunrise.
14:50:01  Moonrise.
17:15:21  Sunset.
18:11:54  Moon at Perigee, 227 377 miles.
Saturday
2
December 2006
05:02:06  Moonset.
07:43:40  Sunrise.
15:20:26  Moonrise.
16:55:48  Mercury at Greatest Brilliancy, -0.60.
17:15:08  Sunset.
17:15:08  Neptune Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 34°09'34".
23:00:48  Uranus at Eastern Quadrature.
Sunday
3
December 2006
06:20:11  Moonset.
07:34:01  2-Pallas at Least Brilliancy, +10.58.
07:44:38  Sunrise.
15:57:15  Moonrise.
17:14:57  Sunset.
Monday
4
December 2006
07:37:15  Moonset.
07:45:36  Sunrise.
09:11:05  Mars 3.7°W of Jupiter.
16:33:54  Sun Greatest Elongation from Moon, 175°51'10".
16:42:44  Moonrise.
17:14:48  Sunset.
18:26:05  Moon at Opposition in Longitude.
18:26:05  Moon at Full Moon.
Tuesday
5
December 2006
07:46:32  Sunrise.
08:48:43  Moonset.
17:14:42  Sunset.
17:37:57  Moonrise.
21:36:20  Moon Northernmost Declination, 28°23'57".
Wednesday
6
December 2006
01:44:37  Moon Highest Culmination, 78°22'17" high.
01:44:37  Moon Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 78°22'17".
07:47:27  Sunrise.
09:50:07  Moonset.
12:16:23  Saturn Stationary in Right Ascension, 09h50m57s.
17:14:38  Sunset.
18:41:30  Moonrise.
Thursday
7
December 2006
07:48:21  Sunrise.
10:39:40  Moonset.
17:14:36  Sunset.
17:14:36  Sun Earliest Sunset.
19:49:35  Moonrise.
Friday
8
December 2006
07:49:14  Sunrise.
11:18:36  Moonset.
17:14:36  Sunset.
20:57:59  Moonrise.
Saturday
9
December 2006
05:13:47  Mercury at Least Brilliancy, -0.59.
07:50:06  Sunrise.
11:49:25  Moonset.
14:17:54  Mercury 1.0°N of Mars.
17:14:39  Sunset.
22:04:06  Moonrise.

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Three Planets Meet

As shown here, Mercury was at its highest in the morning sky in late November. Mars and Jupiter continue to rise steadily.
 
December 10 brings a conjunction of three planets. The planets Mercury, Mars & Jupiter will meet near Beta Scorpii (β).
This ends an extended double conjunction of Mars and Mercury, which also aligned on Nov. 11 (lower left).
 
Horizon is at bottom. Numbers below horizon are azimuths.
At 17:12 UT on the 10th, Mercury lies 7' from Jupiter, and just under a degree from Mars.
Visibility: Worldwide. 1 hr before sunrise only; positions change rapidly; binoculars recommended.
Duration: 1 day only.
Stars are Beta Scorpii (β) and the double Omega Scorpii (ω).
Sunday
10
December 2006
00:39:30  Mercury Least Elongation from Mars, 00°58'00".
04:51:36  Saturn 0.8°S of Moon.
06:14:06  Saturn Least Elongation from Moon, 00°38'47".
07:50:56  Sunrise.
08:23:44  Saturn 1.1°W of Moon.
10:31:28  Mercury 0.1°N of Jupiter.
11:12:18  Mercury Least Elongation from Jupiter, 00°07'21".
12:14:40  Moonset.
17:14:44  Sunset.
19:06:55  Mercury 0.5°E of Jupiter.
23:07:14  Moonrise.
Monday
11
December 2006
07:51:44  Sunrise.
08:59:16  1566-Icarus at Aphelion, 183 043 954 miles.
09:21:36  Mars Least Elongation from Jupiter, 00°47'38".
12:36:22  Moonset.
17:14:51  Sunset.
17:38:19  Mars 0.8°S of Jupiter.
Tuesday
12
December 2006
00:07:51  Moonrise.
07:52:31  Sunrise.
08:32:46  Moon at Western Quadrature.
08:32:46  Moon at Last Quarter.
12:56:07  Moonset.
17:15:00  Sunset.
Wednesday
13
December 2006
01:07:02  Moonrise.
07:53:17  Sunrise.
12:53:46  Moon at Apogee, 251 290 miles.
13:15:11  Moonset.
17:15:12  Sunset.
19:34:48  Mercury 3.4°E of Mars.
22:21:49  Venus Southernmost Declination, -24°11'34".
Thursday
14
December 2006
02:06:03  Moonrise.
07:54:01  Sunrise.
13:34:47  Moonset.
17:15:26  Sunset.
Friday
15
December 2006
03:06:10  Moonrise.
07:54:44  Sunrise.
13:56:09  Moonset.
17:15:42  Sunset.

The Western Star

 
Venus returned to the evening sky in November. Starting in the WSW and moving slowly south, Venus will be easier to spot in mid-December, but sharp-eyed observers will notice it before then.
It's well known that the outer planets move in loops, but you hardly ever hear about the loops of Venus. If you were to plot the position of Venus every night at sunset, as in this chart, you'd find that Venus makes loops of all shapes and sizes.
Venus peaks in the west in May 2007.
Saturday
16
December 2006
04:08:23  Moonrise.
05:26:02  Moon 2.9°N of 433-Eros.
07:55:24  Sunrise.
10:05:03  Moon Least Elongation from 433-Eros, 02°20'46".
14:20:45  Moonset.
17:16:00  Sunset.
Sunday
17
December 2006
00:05:09  Moon 8.5°E of 433-Eros.
05:13:04  Moonrise.
07:56:03  Sunrise.
07:56:03  3-Juno Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 44°32'03".
14:50:25  Moonset.
17:16:21  Sunset.
Monday
18
December 2006
06:19:29  Moonrise.
07:56:41  Sunrise.
08:08:12  Sun Least Elongation from Pluto, 06°53'38".
08:40:00  Pluto in Conjunction with Sun.
15:27:22  Moonset.
17:16:43  Sunset.
Tuesday
19
December 2006
07:25:19  Moonrise.
07:57:16  Sunrise.
16:13:48  Moonset.
17:06:36  Pluto Greatest Distance from Earth, 2 992 343 745 miles.
17:17:08  Sunset.

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Wednesday
20
December 2006
05:14:04  Sun Least Elongation from Moon, 05°24'52".
07:42:57  Moon Southernmost Declination, -28°22'29".
07:57:50  Sunrise.
08:01:52  Moon in Conjunction with Sun.
08:01:52  Moon at New Moon.
08:26:56  Moonrise.
12:14:05  Venus at Least Brilliancy, -3.91.
12:48:55  Moon Lowest Upper Culmination, 21°39'45" high.
17:10:51  Moonset.
17:17:35  Sunset.
Thursday
21
December 2006
07:37:06  Venus Least Elongation from Moon, 04°14'36".
07:58:20  Venus 4.2°N of Moon.
07:58:22  Sunrise.
09:10:01  Pluto at Least Brilliancy, +14.01.
09:20:55  Moonrise.
12:38:14  Sun Lowest Upper Culmination, 26°33'40" high.
17:18:04  Sunset.
18:11:37  Sun Southernmost Declination, -23°26'19".
18:17:17  Moonset.
18:23:15  Sun at Winter Solstice; First Day of Winter.
21:19:06  Moon Least Elongation from 1566-Icarus, 03°42'15".
23:05:48  Moon 3.8°N of 1566-Icarus.
Friday
22
December 2006
07:58:51  Sunrise.
10:05:52  Moonrise.
17:18:35  Sunset.
19:29:42  Moonset.
Saturday
23
December 2006
07:59:19  Sunrise.
10:42:35  Moonrise.
17:19:07  Sunset.
20:44:05  Moonset.
22:50:18  Neptune 2.8°N of Moon.
Sunday
24
December 2006
00:24:59  Neptune Least Elongation from Moon, 02°35'26".
07:59:45  Sunrise.
11:13:02  Moonrise.
11:41:54  Neptune 8.6°W of Moon.
17:19:42  Sunset.
17:19:42  Uranus Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 41°58'41".
21:57:54  Moonset.

Moon Near Uranus

 
Look for Uranus on the evening of the 25th, when the Moon is unusually close by.
To find Uranus on other nights, look south, above the bright star Fomalhaut and just west of the eye-catching triple of Psi Aquarii (ψ, at lower left). Uranus is faintly green, and the obvious orange color of Lambda Aquarii (λ) makes Uranus easy to identify.
Visibility: Western Hemisphere (map computed for eastern USA). Binoculars helpful.
Duration: 1 night only, from sunset to moonset.
Many viewers in South America and the Caribbean will see an occultation of Uranus.
Monday
25
December 2006
08:00:09  Sunrise.
11:39:22  Moonrise.
14:12:44  Uranus 0.9°N of Moon.
15:25:47  Uranus Least Elongation from Moon, 00°44'45".
17:20:19  Sunset.
17:40:16  Uranus 1.2°W of Moon.
23:10:23  Moonset.
Tuesday
26
December 2006
08:00:31  Sunrise.
12:03:30  Moonrise.
17:20:57  Sunset.
Wednesday
27
December 2006
00:22:06  Moonset.
08:00:50  Sunrise.
08:49:05  Moon at Eastern Quadrature.
08:49:05  Moon at First Quarter.
12:27:10  Moonrise.
14:23:20  Venus at Aphelion, 67 692 404 miles.
15:11:58  Mercury at Aphelion, 43 382 541 miles.
17:21:38  Sunset.
17:21:38  1-Ceres Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 28°56'48".
20:36:36  Moon at Perigee, 230 124 miles.
Thursday
28
December 2006
01:34:12  Moonset.
08:01:08  Sunrise.
12:52:03  Moonrise.
17:22:20  Sunset.
Friday
29
December 2006
02:47:41  Moonset.
08:01:23  Sunrise.
13:19:59  Moonrise.
17:23:04  Sunset.
Saturday
30
December 2006
04:02:51  Moonset.
08:01:36  Sunrise.
13:53:07  Moonrise.
17:23:49  Sunset.
Sunday
31
December 2006
05:18:15  Moonset.
08:01:47  Sunrise.
08:01:47  4-Vesta Greatest Nocturnal Altitude, 38°51'23".
14:33:48  Moonrise.
17:24:36  Sunset.
18:25:44  Mercury Southernmost Declination, -24°44'24".

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was conceived, computed, and produced for the web by:

J. E. Brown

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