Celestial Ballet: Witness the 8 Planets Alight the December Night Sky with Dennis Mammana

If you are interested in observing all the planets belonging to our solar system, this week is an excellent opportunity for that.

Step outdoors during twilight and you’ll perceive the most striking of planets in the southwest sky.

I am referring, naturally, to the brilliant planet Venus. It is a planet comparable in size to Earth but entirely covered in reflective clouds.

Positioned midway up in the south-southwestern sky just after nightfall this week is the planet Saturn.

Not nearly as luminous as Venus — indeed, it is currently 145 times dimmer — its magnificent rings present a captivating subject for observation with a small telescope.

Now shift your gaze to the lower northeastern sky and you’ll notice Jupiter. While it might seem to compete with Venus in brightness, it is actually four times less brilliant!

We can only perceive how much more radiant Venus is when these two planets appear closely aligned in the sky — as they will at dawn next August.

If you allow a few hours to pass after sunset, you can catch a glimpse of the Red Planet Mars rising in the northeast. Mars will be at its nearest point to Earth in mid-January, and will then rise around sunset.

Additionally, two more planets are present in our evening sky at this time: Uranus and Neptune.

Sadly, these are too faint to be seen without visual aids, but with a small telescope, a suitable finder chart and a bit of patience, you might successfully observe them as well.

This sums up Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

But where is Mercury? I’m pleased you inquired!

Mercury is the nearest planet to the sun and, consequently, travels relatively swiftly in its orbit.

Only for a period of about a week every couple of months does it achieve enough distance from the sun’s brightness to be observable during dawn or dusk.

If you wish to observe this elusive planet right now, you must rise before sunup, as that is precisely what Mercury is doing this week. Look for it very low in the southeast sky 30-45 minutes prior to sunrise.

Even though Mercury is relatively bright at this moment, its light must traverse a significant amount of volatile air near the horizon, making it sometimes difficult to see without binoculars.

Fortunately, the moon will be present to assist.

On the morning of Dec. 27, the waning crescent moon will appear above and to the right of Mercury, and by the subsequent morning it will be positioned just to the right of the planet.

The moon will be quite slender and dim, so binoculars might be necessary to locate these two amidst the brightening light of dawn.

Don’t confuse the reddish-orange star shining immediately to the left of the moon on the 28th; that’s the far-off star Antares. Mercury will be located further to the left and will noticeably outshine it.

But let us not overlook the most vital planet of all: our Earth!

As we, on this small blue planet, complete yet another journey around our nurturing star, I would like to extend my best wishes for a delightful holiday season and a joyous, healthy, and secure new year.

I hope your stars shine ever more brightly in 2025!