The Night Sky in December 2019 & January 2020
by Richard Hall
The Tarantula: This gigantic nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud is the largest star-forming region in the Local Group of galaxies. Its distance is 169,000 light-years. If it were as close as the Orion Nebula this image would just about cover the entire sky.
The Sun & the Solstice
The Sun moves from Scorpius into Sagittarius on December 16. On December 22 at 5:19 pm the Sun reaches its furthest point south of the celestial equator. This is the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, winter in the north. On January 15 the Sun moves from Sagittarius into Capricornus.
Sunrise Sunset
December 01 5:43am 8:37pm
December 11 5:41am 8:47pm
December 21 5:44am 8:54pm
December 31 5:50am 8:57pm
January 10 6:00am 8:56pm
January 20 6:11am 8:52pm
January 30 6:24am 8:44pm
The Sun moves from Scorpius into Sagittarius on December 16. On December 22 at 5:19 pm the Sun reaches its furthest point south of the celestial equator. This is the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, winter in the north. On January 15 the Sun moves from Sagittarius into Capricornus.
Sunrise Sunset
December 01 5:43am 8:37pm
December 11 5:41am 8:47pm
December 21 5:44am 8:54pm
December 31 5:50am 8:57pm
January 10 6:00am 8:56pm
January 20 6:11am 8:52pm
January 30 6:24am 8:44pm
Mare Nubium: Can you see the ‘Straight Wall’? It has a length of 26 km.
Photo by John Drummond
THE MOON
Whiringa-a-rangi, the 6th Maori lunar month, begins at sunset on November 28.
Hakihea, the 7th Maori lunar month, begins at sunset on December 27.
Kohi-tatea, the 8th Maori lunar month, begins on January 26.
Apogee (most distant orbital point from the Earth): December 5, January 2 and January 30
Perigee (closest orbital point to the Earth): December 19 and January 14
Lunar Conjunctions and Occultations
December 28 Saturn 1.2° north of Moon at 1am
December 28 Pluto 0.6° north of the Moon at 4am
December 29 Venus 1.0° north of the Moon at 3pm
January 7 Aldebaran 3° south of the Moon
January 21 Mars 2° south of the Moon
January 23 Jupiter occulted by the Moon at 3:42pm
January 24 Saturn 1.0° north of the Moon
January 26 Mercury 1.0° north of the Moon
Hakihea, the 7th Maori lunar month, begins at sunset on December 27.
Kohi-tatea, the 8th Maori lunar month, begins on January 26.
Apogee (most distant orbital point from the Earth): December 5, January 2 and January 30
Perigee (closest orbital point to the Earth): December 19 and January 14
Lunar Conjunctions and Occultations
December 28 Saturn 1.2° north of Moon at 1am
December 28 Pluto 0.6° north of the Moon at 4am
December 29 Venus 1.0° north of the Moon at 3pm
January 7 Aldebaran 3° south of the Moon
January 21 Mars 2° south of the Moon
January 23 Jupiter occulted by the Moon at 3:42pm
January 24 Saturn 1.0° north of the Moon
January 26 Mercury 1.0° north of the Moon
Page Modified 12/12/2019
