Southern Skywatch December 2020 edition is now out!

The evening sky facing west in Adelaide on Monday December 21 at 21:43 ACDST, 60 minutes after sunset. Jupiter and Saturn are spectacularly close, the inset is a telescopic view of the pair. (similar views will be seen Australia wide at the equivalent local time, 60 minutes after sunset).

The December edition of Southern Skywatch is now up. The highlight the the month is the meeting of Jupiter and Saturn, where the two will seem to merge into one object.

 In December three bright planets can be seen for most of the evening Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.

Jupiter and Saturn come closer together over the month. December 13; crescent Moon close to Venus.. Morning December 14; Geminid meteor shower peaks. December 17; The crescent Moon close to the pair of Jupiter and Saturn, themselves very close in the evening twilight sky. December 21; Jupiter and Saturn spectacularly close close in the evening twilight sky. December 23-24; Waxing Moon near to Mars.

 Mercury is difficult to see low in the morning twilight. 

Venus is close to the crescent Moon on the 13th low in the morning twilight.. 

Mars is close to the Moon on the 23rd and 26th. 

 Jupiter is prominent in early the evening sky and is close to Saturn. As the month progresses Jupiter and Saturn come closer, starting roughly 3 finger-widths apart.  On the 17th Jupiter, the Moon and Saturn form a triangle in the evening sky.Finally a spectacular close conjunction on the 21st, where the pair will look like one object to the unaided eye.

Saturn is also prominent in early the evening sky near Jupiter. On the 17th Jupiter, the Moon and Saturn form a triangle in the evening sky.Finally a spectacular close conjunction on the 21st, where the pair will look like one object to the unaided eye.

Geminid meteor shower, December 14.

December 13; Moon at perigee.  December 25; Moon at Apogee.