Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Ephemeris for Wednesday, December 20th. The Sun will rise at 8:15. It’ll be up for 8 hours and 48 minutes, setting at 5:04. The Moon, 2 days past new, will set at 7:27 this evening.

Let’s take our weekly look at the bright planets. There are no bright planets visible in the evening sky now. While Uranus and Neptune are evening planets, they require binoculars or a telescope to spot. The morning sky is now host to three planets, though Venus, the brightest will rise too close to the Sun to spot. It’s way on the other side of the Sun, and it will pass behind the Sun in superior conjunction January 9th. At 7 this morning Mars is in the southeast while Jupiter is a lot brighter and below and left of it. Mars will rise tomorrow morning at 3:54. It’s approaching Jupiter which will rise 39 minutes later at 4:33. Tomorrow Saturn will be in conjunction with the Sun and will officially enter the morning sky. It will be a month or more before it separates far enough from the Sun to spot in morning twilight.

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

Addendum

The only bright solar system object visible in the evening is the thin crescent Moon that will be exhibiting Earth shine this evening December 20, 2017. Created using Stellarium.

The bright morning planets visible at 7 a.m. this morning, December 20, 2017. Mercury is too close to the horizon to spot. Created using Stellarium.

Jupiter and its four Galilean moons as they might be seen in a telescope at 7 a.m. this morning, December 20, 2017. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).

Planets at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on December 20, 2017. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 21st. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.