Eyes on the Sky Update
Monday, Dec. 4 to Sunday, Dec. 10
Monday, Dec. 4 – The moon will rise over the eastern horizon late this evening at 11:23 p.m. when it is about an hour and a half before Last Quarter.
Tuesday, Dec. 5 – Last Quarter Moon will occur after midnight at 12:49 a.m. Throughout the night, the moon will reside against the central stars of Leo the Lion with its brightest star, Regulus, to the west of the moon.
Wednesday, Dec. 6 – Saturn is reaching its highest altitude in the south around 5 p.m., more than a half-hour after sunset. Wait another half-hour for the sky to darken to see the star-like appearance of the Ringed Planet. Meanwhile, Jupiter is more than 25 times brighter than Saturn, and is easily seen in the east-southeast around 5 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 7 –In the evening sky, look with binoculars low in the bright southwestern twilight a half-hour after sunset for the star-like appearance of Mercury. In the predawn sky, a celestial trio made of the waning lunar crescent, Spica (the brightest star of Virgo) and Venus gather in the southeast by 5 a.m.
Friday, Dec. 8 – Earliest sunset of the year this evening at 4:21 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 9 – A picturesque scene will adorn the east-southeastern horizon in the hours before sunrise with a slim lunar crescent appearing near Venus.
Sunday, Dec. 10 – Orion is over the eastern horizon by 7:15 p.m. Then Sirius, the brightest star of the night sky, rises out of the east-southeast just after 8:30 p.m. At the same time, Alkaid, the star at the tip of the Big Dipper’s handle is “balancing” the Dipper from its location just above the north point.
Editor’s Note: Richard Monda, assistant professor of Physics and Astronomy in the Biology, Chemistry and Physics Department, publishes updates to his HVCC Eyes on the Sky, a YouTube video series, each week.