- Southern Hemisphere Sky Events

December 2010 Sky & Space Events

These notes are intended to provide a casual skywatcher or someone already into amateur astronomy living in the Australian Capital Territory or in South East Queensland (Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast) with a short summary of what is happening in the night sky in December 2010. Most of the information will also be useful for observers elsewhere in Eastern Australia.

Instructions on how to obtain customised satellite viewing information for your location can be found here.

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Planets this month (December 2010)

Mercury reaches maximum Eastern elongation from the Sun on December 2nd. In theory, Mercury will be visible will be visible very low above the Western horizon in the evening twilight for the first part of the month. However, you will need a clear horizon and a pair of binoculars.

Venus and Saturn are visible in the morning pre-dawn sky all month above the Eastern horizon.

In theory, Mars continues to remain visible all month in the evening twilight very low above the Western horizon. For all practical purposes,  Mars viewing through a telescope is well and truly over. However, by the end of the month it will be lost in the glare of the Sun.

Jupiter can easily be located above the North Western horizon (at the end of evening twilight) and appears to the unaided eye as a bright star. Essentially if you face North West and look up until you see a bright star, which will be Jupiter. It remains visible in the sky until approximately midnight (mid-month). Uranus remains relatively close to Jupiter at just under 3 degrees or six Moon widths away. A finder chart can be found here http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/12435011.html that will let you locate Uranus and also Neptune with a pair of binoculars or a small telescope.

Individual sky events (December 2010)

December 1: 5 am Moon at perigee (closest to Earth in its orbit at 369, 430 km)

December 1 – 2: Waning crescent Moon passes above Saturn in the predawn sky. Look above the Eastern horizon.

December 2: 1 am Mercury at greatest elongation East (21 degrees)

December 3: Waning crescent Moon located to the left of the planet Venus in the dawn sky. Look low above the Eastern horizon.

December 6: New Moon

December 7: Very slim crescent Moon, Mars and Mercury form a temporary triangle low above the Western horizon in the evening twilight. Very difficult. A clear horizon and a pair of binoculars are recommended.

December 10: 8 pm Mercury stationary

December 11: Saturn only 0.05 degrees away from K Virginis. Morning sky.

December 13: Moon at apogee (furthest from Earth it’s orbit at 404, 406km)

December 13: First Quarter Moon

December 13: First Quarter Moon located below Jupiter.

December 13 – 14: Mercury passes Mars low above the Western horizon in the evening twilight. Difficult. Will require a clear horizon.

December 18: Mercury at perihelion

December 20: 11 am Mercury in inferior conjunction with the Sun.

December 21: Full Moon and Total Lunar Eclipse (for North America and a large part of the Pacific). From Eastern Australia, the total phase of the Lunar Eclipse will have ended by the time the Moon rises. The Partial Eclipse phase ends at 8.01pm AEST (add one hour if your location uses ‘Summer time’).

December 22: 10 am Summer Solstice

December 25: 10 pm Moon at perigee (closest to Earth in its orbit at 368, 465 km)

December 27: Venus at perihelion

December 28: Mercury at greatest latitude North

December 28: Last Quarter Moon

December 29: Waning crescent Moon located above Saturn. Morning pre-dawn sky. Star to right of Saturn (which forms a temporary triangle with Saturn and the Moon) is Spica – the brightest star in the ancient Greek constellation Virgo the Virgin.

December 30: 6pm Mercury Stationary

December 31: Waning crescent Moon located above Venus. Morning pre-dawn sky.

For Further Information

Planet and Moon Rise/Set Times

Planet and Moon rise/set times for 2010 can be found here on this website.

Customised Astronomy & Satellite Viewing information

Information on how to obtain customised astronomy & satellite viewing information for your location can be found here on this website.

Great Red Spot (Jupiter) viewing times

Information on when to see the Great Red Spot on Jupiter in 2010 can be found here.

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