12/30/2020 – Ephemeris – Let’s take our last look at the naked-eye planets for this year
This is Bob Moler with Ephemeris for Wednesday, December 30th. Today the Sun will be up for 8 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 5:11, and it will rise tomorrow at 8:20. The Moon, 1 day past full, will rise at 5:40 this evening.
Let’s take our last look at the naked-eye planets for this year. Jupiter and Saturn are both low in the southwestern sky around 6 pm. Jupiter is the very bright one. Below and right of it is the dimmer Saturn it by a degree or two moon widths. They crossed paths for us nine nights ago. They can still be seen in the same binocular field. Saturn will set first tonight at 6:57 pm with Jupiter following four minutes later. Quite high in the southeast will be Mars, still in Pisces. Mars’ distance is increasing to 82 million miles (132 million km) away. It will set at 2:29 tomorrow morning. Brilliant Venus will rise at 6:49 am in the east-southeast as it seems to retreat slowly toward the Sun, but actually it’s heading way around behind the Sun.
The event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
Jupiter and Saturn low on the southwestern horizon at 6 pm. Created using Stellarium.
Mars with the stars of Taurus the Bull including Aldebaran with the “V” of stars that are the Hyades that mark the bull’s face and the Pleiades. Seen at 8 pm, December 30, 2020. Created using Stellarium.
The Moon as it might be seen tonight at 8 pm, December 30, 2020. Created using Stellarium.
Venus in the southeast at 7:30 am. Created using Stellarium.
The planets as seen in a telescope (north up) with the same magnification for the night of December 30/31, 2020. Times of the display are: Jupiter and Saturn, 6 pm; Mars, 8 pm; Venus, 7:30 am. Apparent diameters: Jupiter, 32.92″; Saturn, 15.26″, rings, 35.54″; Mars, 10.52″, and Venus 10.71″. Mars also displays an enlargement showing surface detail. Mars was closest to the Earth this go-a-round on October 6. The ” symbol means seconds of arc (1/3600th of a degree.) Planets whose diameters drop below 10″, or are too close to the direction of the Sun to observe will not be shown. Created using Cartes du Ciel (Sky Charts).
Planets and the Moon at sunset and sunrise of a single night starting with sunset on the right on December 30, 2020. The night ends on the left with sunrise on the 31st. I’m afraid that the labels for Jupiter and Saturn will overlap, since the planets are very close. Click on the image to enlarge. Created using my LookingUp program.
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