Jupiter (upper left), Saturn and Venus (lower right) line up on the evening of 2 December, 2021, in this photo taken from Walmer, UK. Read more about planet Venus, and also see our general guide to observing Venus. We have a special article about this apparition of Venus, and how it will appear during 2021. As mentioned above, Mercury emerges close to Mercury in the last days of December. This is a line-of sight effect as Venus is a planet between us and the Sun, and the two gas giants lie in the outer Solar System. Venus makes an attractive line-up with planets Jupiter and Saturn throughout the month. The crescent Moon will lie close by on the 7th.
It reaches its maximum brightness of -4.7 on 9 December. Venus remains a splendid sight as evening star for those at more southerly latitudes, standing high in Venus is still brilliant in the evening sky, though still at a low altitude for northern observers, and moving back towards the Sun as the month progresses. See our guide on seeing Mercury in the morning sky for yourself. Watch it move to the upper left of the brighter Venus. Mercury will be easier to see from the southern hemisphere during the final week of December. You may catch it in the very last two or three evenings of December, shining at -0.7, when it emerges to the lower left of brilliant Venus. However it takes a long time before it moves far enough out of the solar glare to be seen easily from mid-northern latitude. Mercury passed the far side of the Sun on 29 November and so is now technically in the evening sky. Two nearby galaxies, M31 in Andromeda, and M33 in Triangulum are visible in binoculars on either side of Andromeda’s main line of stars if you have clear dark skies. In the southwestern sky, the Great Square of Pegasus stands high, with the constellation of Andromeda running from the Square’s top left corner star, which is actually part of Andromeda.
Meanwhile, over in the west, another bright star, Vega, in the constellation of Lyra, the Lyre, is sinking low, followed by Cygnus, the Swan. Also in Perseus, you can follow the eclipses of the variable star Algol (Beta Persei). Look for the famous Double Cluster between Perseus and Cassiopeia if you have binoculars. Perseus and Cassiopeia are high overhead too. Orion sits over in the east like an old friend, with the twins, Gemini, to his upper left.Īuriga, the Charioteer, is now high in the sky, with its prominent star Capella, one of the brightest stars in the sky. Late evenings in November and December see the return of the winter constellations. Long dark nights are back with us in northern and mid-northern latitudes. Image credit: Paul Sutherland The stars in December 2021 A hazy sky brought out the colours of bright stars in Orion.