If clouds don’t interfere, people will have some great December views of four planets, the moon and a meteor shower.
Jupiter, our solar system’s largest planet, is visible in the eastern sky about an hour after sunset. During the night, it will move westward. A view through a small telescope will show Jupiter’s disk and as many as four of its largest satellites, said the Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers.
On Monday, about an hour before sunrise, Saturn will appear as a moderately bright “star” near the crescent moon. A view from a small telescope will show a tiny-but-recognizable rings. Below Saturn will be Venus, our sky’s brightest planet.
On Tuesday morning, the crescent moon will appear very close to Venus. Mercury can be first spotted about an hour before sunrise. Draw an imaginary line from Saturn down to Venus, then a much shorter line down to spot Mercury. If haze or thin clouds are present, binoculars might help in spotting the objects.
