The Planets:
Mercury:  This tiny but bright planet can best be seen from December 15 through the end of the month by looking WSW at sunset.  Look quick, because viewing will be limited to less than one hour.

Venus:  In the predawn hours, Venus can be found in the eastern sky, shining brightly at a magnitude of -4.5.  Mars visually stays within a few degrees of Venus the entire month, becoming especially close on December 4 and 5, coming within 1.5 degrees or less from our vantage point here on Earth.  (Remember that your fist held at arm's length is about 10 degrees).  On December 1, look for the waning crescent moon to form a tight triangle with Venus and Mars.

Mars:  The red planet spends December within a few degrees of Venus the entire month.  On December 2, Mars is 2 degrees above Venus; by December 10^th, it is slightly south of Venus and continues to pull away from Venus slowly for the remainder of December.  This planet is not very bright this month, shining at an average magnitude of 1.5.

Jupiter:  Look to the east in late evening to find Jupiter rising.  By month's end, it rises about 9 PM.

Saturn:  The ringed planet can be seen all night long, from sunset to sunrise, moving from east to west.  The planet is currently in the constellation of Taurus the Bull, right above the club held by Orion in the adjoining constellation.  Look about 15 degrees northward above Orion's shoulders.  If you have a small telescope or strong binoculars, take a good look at the rings, which are perfectly tilted toward us for viewing.  On December 18, an almost full moon leads Saturn across the night sky from east to west.  On December 19, the situation is reversed and it looks as though Saturn is leading the moon all night long.

WINTER SOLSTICE:
Winter officially arrives on December 21 at 7:14 PM, Central Standard Time.  This day receives less direct sunlight than any other day of our calendar year, caused by the 23 ½ degree tilt of the Earth as it travels in orbit around the sun.  Historically, ancient peoples all over the world celebrated the winter solstice with festivals and feasts, knowing that from this point forward, the days would be getting longer and the nights shorter.

Meteor Showers:
The constellation Gemini hosts this month's Geminid meteor shower, peaking on December 14 about 3:00 AM.   Look for the two bright stars, Castor and Pollux, that form the heads of the twins.  Comets passing through our solar system lose part of their tails when melted by the sun's heat, leaving dusty debris behind.  As earth revolves around the sun, earth spins through these pockets of space clutter.  This frictional encounter with earth's atmosphere disintegrates these particles producing "shooting stars."  Of course, the best viewing is away from the light pollution of the city after midnight. 

Constellations:  Aries, Cetus, Eridanus, Fornax, Horologium, Hydrus, Perseus, Triangulum

Looking for a Little More?  If this Skyline whets your appetite, try this website:  skymaps.com/downloads.html.  It offers a two page pdf brochure that you can print out for free.  It has a basic skymap and short lists of visual, binocular, and small telescope objects.  It is really good--check it out!