Sunrise Sunset

Fri., Dec. 9 6:56 4:11

Sat., Dec. 10 6:57 4:11

Sun., Dec. 11 6:58 4:11

Mon., Dec. 12 6:59 4:11

Tues., Dec. 13 6:59 4:11

Wed., Dec. 14 7:00 4:11

Thurs., Dec. 15 7:01 4:12

Fri., Dec. 16 7:02 4:12

Tomorrow night’s full moon, the Holly Moon, rises in the east at about sunset and commands attention all night long. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Taurus. Early Sunday morning, the moon sets in the west at about the time that the sun rises in the east.

The night sky has two other bright celestial objects. In the evening, look above the Moon and a short distance away there is the bright planet Jupiter.

Even brighter, the planet Venus hovers over the western sky amid the twilight. Venus is only visible early in the evening for a short time before it sets.

Mars

The bright red planet Mars is making progress towards being a much brighter planet, in the New Year. Right now Mars is in the zodiacal constellation Leo and it rises in the east just before midnight. Mars will be in opposition in spring, closer to the Earth than at any other time in its two-year journey around the Sun.

This week, Mars will be about the same distance from Earth as the Sun, or 93 million miles if you are counting. The planet is getting closer and thus brighter. It will be 30 million miles closer in March.

Astronomers estimate the planet will be 63 million miles away, not a record, but close enough to become one of the brightest celestial objects in the night sky.

M.A.L.