December 2020: Great Conjunction, Venus with the Scorpion* by Jeffrey L. Hunt Figure 1 - Mars: Watch the Red Planet move eastward through Pisces. Early in the month, it passes through a triangle made by Zeta Piscium (ζ Psc), Epsilon Piscium (ε Psc), and 80 Piscium (80 Psc). At the beginning of morning twilight (5:20 a.m. CST) when December begins, a bright moon outshines the subtle features of the Orion region of the Milky Way. The lunar orb shines from the horns of Taurus. Sirius, Orion, and Taurus are lined up along the western horizon as they appear on a spring evening. The arc of stars – Procyon, Pollux, Castor, and Capella – appear as an umbrella that is higher in the sky. Farther eastward, Regulus and the Sickle of Leo is at the meridian. The Big Dipper is high in the north, nearly the same distance as Leo from the zenith. The dipper’s Pointer Stars reliably aim at the Pole Star. The handle curves toward the east, where topaz Arcturus – over a third of the way up in the sky – is now well-placed for easy reference. Spica is low in the southeast to the lower right of Arcturus. Brilliant Venus is nearby, the lone bright planet in the morning sky. Watch the planet move through Libra and then close to brighter stars in Scorpius during the month. Moving northward along the horizon, you might spot the backwards “C” of Corona Borealis, to the lower left of Arcturus. Vega is low in the northeast. Cassiopeia is low in the north, west of the meridian. Daylight is about 9.5 hours long. From now until the winter solstice, daylight loses about 20 minutes, as the sun loses 1° of noon altitude. Darkness – the span of time after the end of evening twilight until the beginning of morning twilight – is 11 hours, 20 minutes. Throughout the month, the end of evening twilight occurs slightly after 6 p.m. CST. While the weather is not yet bone-numbing, the early onset of darkness allows for early observing. So, bundle up, get outside, to look at the evening sky with a binocular, telescope, or just a quick tour of the sky without optical help. At this hour, the bright moon is low in the east-northeast, to the left of the horns of Taurus. Bright Capella stands to the lunar orb’s upper left while Aldebaran is to the upper right. Even though the moon is bright, you might spot the Pleiades, higher than Aldebaran, about a third of the way up in the east. At the meridian, working upward, Fomalhaut – Mouth of the Fish – is slightly to the east and about a quarter of the way up in the sky. Aquarius is above the Southern Fish. A circular pattern of pairs of 3rd and 4th magnitude, to the upper left Fomalhaut – are unique to Aquarius. The Great Square of Pegasus, over two-thirds of the way up in the sky, is east of the meridian. Andromeda’s stars, beginning at Alpheratz, point toward the northeast horizon and Capella. Perseus is between Andromeda and Auriga. Bright Mars, dimmer than when it was at closest approach during early October, marches eastward in Pisces. During the next several days, watch the planet step through a miniature triangle made by Epsilon Piscium, Zeta Piscium, and 80 Piscium. Back at the meridian, Cassiopeia is over two-thirds of the way up in the northern sky, east of the celestial divider. The Big Dipper scrapes along the horizon at this time. Even though the seasons have changed, the Summer Triangle – Vega, Altair, and Deneb – dominate the western sky. The impending Great Conjunction is playing out in the southwest. Bright Jupiter is to the lower right of Saturn. Figure 2 - Venus: In the morning sky during December, Venus steps through Libra and Scorpius, and into Ophiuchus. • December 1: One hour before sunrise, brilliant Venus (m = −3.9) – low in the east-southeast – is the lone bright morning planet. It is among the stars of Libra, 3.8° to the upper right of Zubenelgenubi (α Lib, m = 2.8). Use a binocular to spot the brilliant planet 2.1° to the upper right of Mu Librae (μ Lib, m = 5.3). Through a telescope, Venus is a morning gibbous, 89% illuminated and 11.6” across. The gibbous moon (16.3 days after the New Moon phase, 99% illuminated) – nearly 21° up in the west- northwest – is between the Horns of Taurus. Figure 3 - December 1: One hour before sunrise, the bright Block the moon’s glare to see the stars that moon is in the west-northwest, between the Horns of mark the horn’s tips. Zeta Tauri (ζ Tau, m Taurus, Zeta Tauri (ζ Tau) and Beta Tau (β Tau). = 3.0) is 4.2° to the upper left of the moon. Beta Tauri (β Tau, m = 1.6) is 5.8° to the upper right of the lunar orb. Mercury (− 0.8) rises about 50 minutes before sunrise. By 30 minutes before sunrise, the planet is less than 3° in altitude in the east-southeast, clearly a challenge to see. Daylight is a minute less than 9.5 hours long. Until the solstice, daylight loses less than 25 minutes. The shortest daylight of the year is with us. Antares is in conjunction with the sun today. It makes its first morning appearance later in the month. One hour after sunset, Jupiter (m = −2.0) and Saturn (0.6) are about 19° up in the southwest. The gap between the planets is 2.1°. Saturn is to Jupiter’s upper left. Great Conjunction Countdown: 20 days. In the starfield, Jupiter is 2.1° to the lower left of 56 Sagittarii (56 Sgr, m = 4.8), while Saturn is 3.7° to the upper left of that star. Additionally, Saturn is 4.5° to the lower right of Sigma Capricorni (σ Cap, m = 5.2). Use a binocular to track the progress of the Figure 4 - December 1 – 5: Brilliant Venus passes planets compared to these stars. Jupiter sets Zubenelgenubi on December 3. This chart shows the motion of Venus compared to the star for a few days about 7:40 p.m. Saturn follows several around the conjunction date. minutes later. Mars (m = −1.1) is 80.9° of ecliptic longitude east of Jupiter. The gap between them opens during December as Mars picks up eastward speed after the conclusion of its recent retrograde. Through a telescope, the Red Planet is 14.4” across. At this hour, the planet is over 38° in altitude above the east-southeast horizon. While its brightness is diminished since its October 13 opposition, the rusty tint and brightness makes it the brightest “star” in the eastern sky at this hour. It seems to move across the sky during the night, setting in the west about 2:30 a.m. CST, long before Venus rises. Among the stars, Mars is 1.2° to the lower right of Epsilon Piscium (ε Psc, m = 4.2) and 1.7° to the upper right of 80 Piscium (80 Psc, m = 5.5). With a binocular, watch the planet move between the two stars during the next few evenings. About 3 hours after sunset (7:20 p.m. CST), the bright gibbous moon (16.8d, 97%) is nearly 20° up in the east- northeast. Now outside the Horns of Taurus, the lunar orb is 5.1° to the lower left of ζ Tau and 8.4° below β Tau. • December 2: One hour before sunrise, the bright gibbous moon (17.3d, 96%) is over 30° in altitude in the west. It is 2.5° to the lower right of Mu Geminorum Figure 5 - December 1: One hour after sunset, Jupiter is 19° up in the southwest, 2.1° to the lower right of Saturn. (μ Gem, m = 2.8) and nearly 20° to the lower right of Castor (α Gem, m = 1.6). Block the moon’s glare to see the dimmer stars of Gemini. Farther east, Venus is 2.2° to the upper right of Zubenelgenubi and 0.9° to the upper right of μ Lib. One hour after sunset, Mars is 39.0° up in the east-southeast, moving eastward compared to Pisces’ starry background. Use a binocular to spot the Red Planet 1.1° to the lower right of ε Psc and 1.6° to the upper right of 80 Psc. Farther westward, Jupiter is 19.0° up in the south-southwest. Dimmer Saturn is 2.0° to the upper left of the Jovian Giant. Great Conjunction Countdown: 19 days. In the starfield, Jupiter is 2.3° to the lower left of 56 Sgr, and Saturn is 3.8° to the upper left of the star. Additionally, Saturn is 4.4° to the lower right of σ Cap. Four hours after sunset (8:20 p.m. CST), the moon (17.9d, 93%) – nearly 20° up in the east-northeast – is over 12° to the upper right of Pollux (β Gem, m = 1.2). • December 3: One hour before sunrise, brilliant Venus – over 12° up in the east-southeast – is 1.3° to the upper left of Zubenelgenubi and 0.5° to the lower right of μ Lib. Farther west, the moon (18.3d, 91%) is 8.6° to the lower right of Pollux. In the evening, Mars (m = −1.0) – moving eastward in Pisces – is 1.0° to the lower right of ε Psc and 1.6° to the upper right of 80 Psc. Use a binocular to spot the planet among the dimmer stars.