You can see all 5 bright planets after sunset this December. But you’ll need a clear horizon from the southwest to the east. Start looking about 30 minutes after sunset. Mercury and Venus are very low on the horizon but will rise higher later in the month. Once you catch Mercury and Venus, then scan the southern and eastern sky for Saturn, Jupiter and Mars. To see a precise view from your location, try Stellarium, the free web-based planetarium. Later, beginning around December 24 – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – you can watch as the waxing crescent moon begins moving up past the line of planets. Read more about seeing all 5 bright planets. Chart via John Jardine Goss / EarthSky.
Jupiter is easy to spot, brighter than all the stars. It’s high in the south after sunset. It sets after midnight local time in early December and is gone before midnight at month’s end. Mars rises in the east before sunset and is visible all night. It’s very red now and brighter than most stars, racing toward its December 8 opposition, when Earth will fly between Mars and the sun. Saturn is low in the southwestern sky after sunset – golden in color, shining steadily – best time for observing is right after darkness falls. It sets by around 10 p.m. local time at the beginning of December and around 8 p.m. at the end of the month. Venus, the brightest planet and next planet inward from Earth in orbit around the sun, is climbing higher each night in the sunset twilight. By the end of December, it sets about 70 minutes after sunset. Mercury is near Venus in the evening twilight and will reach greatest elongation on December 21, 2022. Start looking for Mercury right after sunset the second week of December. Visibility of this elusive planet improves throughout the month.
Visible planets (morning)
On December mornings, Mars is shining brightly in the west (opposite the sunrise horizon).
People often ask if our charts apply to them. Yes, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere. Not as precisely, however, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere. Our charts are mostly set for the northern half of Earth. To see a precise view from your location, try Stellarium Online.
Visible planets and night sky guide December, 2022
December all night: Mars bright in Taurus
In the evenings throughout December 2022, bright red Mars slides among the stars of the horns of Taurus the Bull, heading toward the shimmering Pleiades star cluster. Indeed, Mars is well placed for observing all night. By the way, Mars was closest to Earth for this 2-year period on November 30, 2022. It was 50.6 million miles (81.4 million km) away. Mars will continue to brighten until December 8, 2022, when it will reach its once-in-2-years opposition. Also, the nearby red star Aldebaran can guide you to a V-shaped star cluster known as the Hyades. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
December evenings: Jupiter very bright in Pisces
Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, shines brightly in the early evening sky. In fact, it’s the brightest “star” in our southern night sky; you can’t miss it. Indeed, it’s probably the first star you’ll see as the sky starts to darken after sunset. Jupiter lies directly south of the eastern side of the Great Square, a group of 4 stars in the constellation Pegasus. Also, between the Great Square and the bright planet is a pretty but faint group of 6 stars known as the Circlet. They compose the western section of the constellation Pisces the Fishes. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
December evenings: Planets Mercury and Venus are back!
After nearly a 2-month absence, Venus has returned! Venus, our brightest planet, glows very low in the sunset direction shortly after the sun sets. Additionally, Mercury is also back and joins Venus in our evening sky. Its path for December is indicated by the line and arrow in the chart above. Mercury will reach greatest elongation from the sun on December 21, 2022. By the way, this will be the 4th evening elongation for Mercury in 2022. How soon will you see Venus and Mercury? An EarthSky team member spotted them already using averted vision. They will be easier to spot starting about mid-month when they are visible about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset. The pair are about 5 degrees apart earlier in the month and are closest (within 1.5 degrees) on December 28. Later, after the close conjunction, Venus will climb higher in the evening sky, and Mercury will disappear around the end of the year. Then, Venus will go on to remain our brightest evening star through July 2023. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
In the early evening, Saturn shines in the dim but pretty constellation Capricornus the Sea-goat, which lies low in the southwest after darkness falls. If you have a dark sky, you’ll notice that Capricornus has the shape of an arrowhead. However, Saturn is past its best viewing for the year, so you’ll want to catch it as soon as you can after dark. Saturn sets by about 10 p.m. local time at the beginning of the month and will be setting around 8 p.m. at month’s end. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
December 24 evening: Moon near planets Mercury and Venus
After sunset, the thin waxing crescent moon is low in the sky with Mercury and Venus nearby. The trio forms a lovely triangle with the best views around 30 to 40 minutes after sunset. Then, once the sun is below the horizon, start looking for the moon and planets. Binoculars might help, also. The glow you see on the darkened side of the moon is earthshine. Mercury reached greatest elongation from the sun on December 21, 2022. The creamy light higher in the sky is the planet Saturn. Indeed, the planets and moon might make a lovely photo. Read more about the moon near Mercury and Venus. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
December 25 and 26 evenings: Moon near Saturn
The waxing crescent moon hangs low in the sky after sunset on December 25 and 26, 2022, with the golden light of Saturn nearby. Catch Saturn early because it sets after 8 p.m. local time. Also, adding to the scene is the pretty glow of earthshine on the unlit portion of the moon. Read more about the moon near Saturn. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
December 28 evening: Mercury and Venus Conjunction
Mercury and Venus have been getting closer for a few weeks, and tonight they are closest for this month. Shortly after sunset on December 28, 2022, Venus and Mercury are only 1.5 degrees apart. Presently, Venus is the brighter planet, and Mercury is higher in the sky. Look about 30-40 minutes after sunset. Binoculars might help find the pair of planets. Venus continues climbing higher in the sky each night while Mercury sinks into the sun’s glare at the end of the month. Mercury reached greatest elongation from the sun on December 21, 2022. In addition, you can also see Saturn higher in the sky. Read more about Venus and Mercury pair up on December 28. Chart via John Jardine Goss / EarthSky.
December 28 and 29 evenings: Moon near Jupiter
Look for the moon and Jupiter on the evenings of December 28 and 29, 2022. The thick waxing crescent moon hangs low in the sky after sunset on December 28. The moon reaches the first quarter phase at 7:20 p.m. CST on December 29. Meanwhile, Jupiter has been dominant in the evening sky for months and sets around midnight local time at the end of December. Read more about the moon near Jupiter. Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
The instant of 1st quarter moon is 1:20 UTC on December 30 (7:20 p.m. CDT on December 29)
December 2022 heliocentric solar system planets
The sun-centered charts below come from Guy Ottewell. You’ll find charts like these for every month of 2022 here, in his Astronomical Calendar. Guy Ottewell explains:
In these views from ecliptic north, arrows (thinner when south of the ecliptic plane) are the paths of the four inner planets. Dots along the rest of the orbits are five days apart (and are black for the part of its course that a planet has trodden since the beginning of the year). Also, semicircles show the sunlit side of the new and full moon (vastly exaggerated in size and distance). Additionally, pairs of lines point outward to the more remote planets.
Phenomena such as perihelia (represented by ticks) and conjunctions (represented by lines between planets) are at dates that can be found in the Astronomical Calendar. Likewise, gray covers the half of the universe below the horizon around 10 p.m. at mid-month (as seen from the equator). The zodiacal constellations are in directions from the Earth at mid-month (not from the sun).
Bottom line: In December, the morning planet is Mars. In the evening, the gas giant planets Jupiter and Saturn dominate the southern sky as night falls, with Mars rising before sunset and visible all night. Later, Venus and Mercury appear low above the horizon after sunset. You can see all five bright planets – starting the second week of December – through the end of the month.
Marcy Curran has enjoyed star gazing since she was a young girl going on family camping trips under the dark skies of Wyoming. She bought her first telescope in time to see Halley’s comet in 1985 on its way in to another close encounter with the sun. Her passion for astronomy eventually led her to being a co-founder of a local astronomical society. Marcy remains active in her astronomy club including being the editor of a monthly newsletter. She also contributes a monthly article to her local newspaper focusing on the stars, planets and objects currently visible in the nighttime sky. Marcy taught astronomy at her local community college for over 20 years. Marcy retired in December 2021 and is delighted to join Earthsky.org as an editor of night sky articles. Her hobbies – other than star gazing – include reading, knitting, jigsaw puzzles and photography. Marcy and her husband live in Wyoming.
“I can sometimes see the moon in the daytime” was a cosmic revelation that John Jardine Goss first discovered through personal observations when he was 6 years old. It shook his young concept of the universe and launched his interest in astronomy and stargazing, a fascination he still holds today. John is past president of the Astronomical League, the largest U.S. federation of astronomical societies, with over 20,000 members. He’s earned the title of Master Observer and has authored the celestial observing guides Exploring the Starry Realm and Carpe Lunam. John also writes a monthly stargazing column, Roanoke Skies, for the Roanoke Times, and a bimonthly column, Skywatch, for Blue Ridge Country magazine. He has contributed to Sky and Telescope magazine, the IDA Nightscape, the Astronomical League’s Reflector magazine, and the RASC Observer’s Handbook.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. “Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers,” she says.
