Visible planets and night sky for December

December 19 and 20 evenings: Moon near the Circlet

The bright waxing gibbous moon will pass the faint but distinct Circlet asterism in Pisces the Fish on the evenings of December 19 and 20, 2023. The moon and the Circlet will be visible as darkness falls and will set after midnight.

December 19: 1st quarter moon

The instant of 1st quarter moon will fall at 18:39 UTC (12:39 p.m. CST), on December 19, 2023. The 1st quarter moon rises around noon your local time and sets around midnight.

EarthSky Minute, December 18-21, 2023

See what’s in store for in the sky for the coming days.

The 2024 lunar calendars are here! Best Christmas gifts in the universe! Check ’em out here.

EarthSky Minute, moon phases December 2023

December 21 and 22 evenings: Moon near Jupiter

On the evenings of December 21 and 22, 2023, the waxing gibbous moon will glow near the bright planet Jupiter. The moon and Jupiter will set several hours after midnight.

December solstice: December 21-22

The December solstice is at 3:27 UTC on December 22, 2023 (9:27 p.m. December 21 CST). Winter arrives in the Northern Hemisphere and summer arrives in the Southern Hemisphere.

December 22: Mercury will pass between Earth and the sun

Mercury will reach the point in its orbit known as inferior conjunction – when it passes between Earth and the sun – at 19 UTC on December 22.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

December 22-23 mornings: Ursid meteor shower

The predicted peak of the Ursid meteor shower is on the early mornings of December 22 and 23, 2023. The best time to watch is before dawn and after the waxing gibbous moon has slipped below the horizon.

December 23 and 24 evenings: Moon near the Pleiades

The bright waxing gibbous moon will pass the Pleiades star cluster on the evenings of December 23 and 24, 2023. The Pleiades is also known as the Seven Sisters or Messier 45 and appears as a glittering, bluish cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus the Bull. The moon and Pleiades will cross the sky together until about an hour before sunrise.

December 25 all night: Moon near Capella, Aldebaran and Betelgeuse

December 25, 2023, the bright waxing gibbous moon will lie near a trio of bright stars. It’ll be near the fiery orange star Aldebaran of Taurus the Bull and Orion’s mighty red supergiant star Betelgeuse. The bright golden star is Capella of the constellation Auriga the Charioteer. If you catch Capella low on the horizon, it may be flashing like a small disco ball. You can follow them all night until sunrise.

December 26-27, all night: Full Moon

The instant of full moon will fall at 0:33 UTC on December 27, 2023 (6:33 p.m. CST December 26).

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

December 26 and 27 evenings: Moon near Castor and Pollux

On the evening of December 26, 2023, the full moon will pass Castor and Pollux, the twin stars of Gemini. Then on the evening of December 27, the waning gibbous moon will be closer to the Twin Stars of Gemini. They’ll rise a few hours after sunset and be visible traveling across the sky all night.

December 29 morning: Moon near the Beehive

For the second time this month, the moon will slide by the famous – but faint – Beehive star cluster. This time it will be a waning gibbous moon on the morning of December 29, 2023. You will need binoculars to spot the dozens of stars in the busy Beehive star cluster. Also nearby will be the twin stars, Castor and Pollux, in the constellation Gemini. They’ll rise late the night before and be high in the morning sky.

December 30 and 31 mornings: Moon near the Sickle

On the mornings of December 30 and 31, 2023, the waning gibbous moon will float near Regulus, marking the bottom of the backward question mark asterism called the Sickle. Regulus is the brightest star in Leo the Lion. And the moon will lie close to Regulus on the final morning of 2023. They’ll rise late in the evening the night before and be high in the morning sky.

Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view – and time – from your location, try Stellarium Online.

Planets in December 2023

December mornings: Venus

The blazing light of Venus will continue to dominate the morning sky through the end of the year. However, it will be sinking lower each morning after it reached its greatest elongation from the sun in October. Luckily, it will rise early enough to see it in dark skies. Venus will begin the month at -4.2 magnitude and will dim slightly as it recedes from Earth, ending the month at -4.1 magnitude. A lovely waning crescent moon will join Venus on the morning of December 9, 2023, when they appear about 4 degrees apart. Also, Venus will appear close to the star Spica at the beginning of the month, and then they drift apart more each morning. Venus begins the month in the constellation Virgo the Maiden and will move into Libra the Scales by mid-month. Then by month’s end, it will be in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpion.

December most of the night: Jupiter

Bright Jupiter will draw your attention most of the night. It will be very obvious in the east at sunset and will be visible until a few hours before dawn. It will shine near the pretty Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Jupiter reached its closest point to the Earth in early November. And it reached opposition overnight on November 2-3, 2023, when we flew between it and the sun. So, as Jupiter recedes from Earth, it’ll fade a bit in our sky. It will lie in the dim constellation Aries the Ram. It will shine at -2.7 magnitude by month’s end. The waxing gibbous moon will float by Jupiter on December 22, 2023.

December evenings: Saturn

Golden Saturn will shine in the southwest after sunset during December. It will be in the dim constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. Our solar system’s beautiful ringed planet will be fading a bit this month as it recedes from Earth and will shine at +0.9 magnitude for most of the month. Saturn will be a little brighter than the nearby lonely star, Fomalhaut, which shines around 1st magnitude. The waxing gibbous moon will visit Saturn on the evenings of December 17, 2023. Saturn will set by mid-evening your local time this month.

December evenings: Mercury

Mercury will be emerging low in the morning sky the last few days of the year on its way to its first greatest morning elongation of 2024.

Where’s Mars?

It’s too close to the sun in the morning sky to be visible for the rest of 2023. It’ll be back next year.

Thank you to all who submit images to EarthSky Community Photos! View community photos here. We love you all. Submit your photo here.

Looking for a dark sky? Check out EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze.

Sky dome maps for visible planets and night sky

The sky dome maps come from master astronomy chart-maker Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2023 in his Astronomical Calendar.

Guy Ottewell explains sky dome maps

Heliocentric solar system planets

The sun-centered charts come from Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2023 in his Astronomical Calendar.

Guy Ottewell explains heliocentric charts.

Some resources to enjoy

For more videos of great night sky events, visit EarthSky’s YouTube page.

Watch EarthSky’s video about Two Great Solar Eclipses Coming Up

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Visit EarthSky’s Best Places to Stargaze to find a dark-sky location near you.

Post your own night sky photos at EarthSky Community Photos.

Translate Universal Time (UTC) to your time.

See the indispensable Observer’s Handbook, from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Visit Stellarium-Web.org for precise views from your location.

Almanac: Bright Planets (rise and set times for your location).

Visit TheSkyLive for precise views from your location.

Bottom line: Visible planets: Venus dominates the morning sky. Jupiter is visible most of the night, Saturn sets late evenings and Mercury is low on the western horizon. Visible planets and night sky, here!