Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24th.  The sun will rise at 8:17.  It’ll be up for 8 hours and 49 minutes, setting at 5:06.   The moon, 1 day before last quarter, will rise at 12:31 tomorrow morning.

We are to be visited by not one but two Christmas Stars this year.  And like what the original Star of Bethlehem may have been, these aren’t stars either but planets.    Between Venus and Jupiter we will have full coverage until dawn.  Venus will dazzle in the southwest after sunset.  After it sets Jupiter will hold forth as the second brightest planet after Venus, rising in the east northeast in twilight, then moving very high in the sky near midnight, and will be near the west northwestern horizon and dawn breaks Christmas Day.  These were the two planets whose very close conjunctions in 3 and again in 2 BC may have been interpreted by the Magi as the Star that announced the new King of Israel.

Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.

Addendum

Venus setting and Jupiter rising. The two Christmas stars this year. Christmas Eve 2013 at 6:45 p.m. Created using Stellarium.