The Sky This Week - Thursday December 26 to Thursday January 2

The  New Moon is Thursday December 26.  Venus climbs even higher in the evening sky. Venus is close to the crescent on the 29th. Mars is visible in the morning twilight.

The New Moon is Thursday December 26. The Moon is at apogee when it is furthest from the Earth on January the 2nd

Sky at 21:38 ACDST on Sunday December 29 (60 minutes after sunset) looking west as seen from Adelaide. Venus is just below the crescent Moon.

The left upper insert shows the telescopic view of  Venus at this time.It is a distinct gibbous shape.

Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia 60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen.

Morning sky at 4:56 ACDST facing east as seen from Adelaide on Saturday 28 December 60 minutes before sunrise.

Mars is low above the horizon

Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time. (60 minutes before sunrise, click to embiggen).

Venus is higher above the western horizon in the early evening sky. Venus is now readily seen up to 90 minutes after sunset.Venus is close to the crescent Moon on the 29th.

Mercury is lost in the twilight.

Jupiter  is lost in the twilight glow.

Mars is visible in the morning twilight.

Saturn  is  lost in the twilight.

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEDST, Western sky at 10 pm AEDST. For further details and more information on what’s up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/