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Sky Chart For The Month of December, 2023

 


ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR DECEMBER 2023

The Moon

Last Quarter occurs on 5th at h 11-19 I.S.T.

New Moon occurs on 13th at h 05-02 I.S.T.   

First Quarter occurs on 20th at h. 00-09 I.S.T.

Full Moon occurs on 27th  at h 06-03 I.S.T.

 The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 14th.   

The Moon is at Apogee or farthest from the Earth on 5th and at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 17th.


The Moon passes about 3½º south of Venus on 9th, about 3½º south of Mars on 12th, about 4½º south of Mercury on 14th, about 2½º south of Saturn on 18th, about 1½º south of Neptune on 19th after sunset, about 2½º north of Jupiter on 22nd  after sunset, about 3º north of Uranus on 23rd after sunset.

The Earth

The Earth is in Winter Solstice on 22nd.  

The Planets

Visibility of Planets:

 

Mercury: The planet sets about 1½ hours to 1 hour after sunset upto 17th of the month. Thereafter from 18th the planet is too close to the Sun to be visible upto 26th of the month. From 27th of the month the planet becomes visible in the eastern sky before sunrise and it rises about 1½ hours before sunrise for the remaining days of the month. The planet is in Greatest Eastern Elongation of about 21½° from the Sun on 4th. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth from 13th. The planet is at Perihelion or nearest to the Sun in its orbit on 20th. The planet is in Inferior Conjunction with Sun on 22nd.

Venus:  The planet rises about 3 hours to 3½ hours after local midnight throughout the month.

Mars:  The planet is too close to the Sun to be visible.

JupiterThe planet sets about 3½ hours to 2½ hours after local midnight upto the third quarter of the month, about 2½ hours to 1½ hours after it for the remaining days of the month. The motion of the planet becomes Direct with respect to Earth from 31st.

Saturn: The planet sets about 1 hour to 1½ hours before local midnight upto first quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 2 hours before it upto second quarter of the month, about 2 hours to 2½ hours before it upto third quarter of the month and about 2½ hours to 3 hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

Uranus: The planet sets about 1 hour to 1½ hours before sunrise upto first quarter of the month, about 1½ hours to 2½ hours before it upto second quarter of the month, about 2½ hours to 3 hours before it upto third quarter of the month about 3 hours to 3½ hours before it for the remaining days of the month.

NeptuneThe planet sets about ½ hour after local midnight to close to local mid night upto the first quarter of month, thereafter the planet sets close to local midnight to about ½ hour before local midnight upto third quarter of the month, about ½ hour to 1½ hours before it for the remaining days of the month. The motion of the planet becomes Direct with respect to Earth from 6th. The planet is in Quadrature with the Sun on 17th.

 

 

 Conjunction of Planet:

Mars passes about 4½º north of Antares (Jyestha) on 7th.

 

Mercury passes about 3½º north of Mars on 28th.

Planets

Planets in Zodiacal Constellation

Magnitude

Mercury (Budha)

Moves from Sagittarius (Dhanus) to Scorpion (Vrischika) on 28th.

(Retrograde)

  -0.4 to +2.4

+2.4  to +0.5

Venus (Sukra)

Moves from Libra (Tula) to Scorpion (Vrischika) on 25th.

- 4.2 to - 4.0

Mars (Mangala)

Moves from Scorpion (Vrischika)  to Sagittarius (Dhanus) on 27th.

    +1.4

Jupiter (Brihaspati)

Remains in Aries (Mesha).

-2.8 to -2.6

Saturn (Sani)

Remains in Aquarius (Kumbha).

+0.8 to +0.9

Uranus

Remains in Aries (Mesha).

+6.0

Neptune

Remains in Pisces (Mina).

+8.0



Source : : Director

Positional Astronomy Centre

India Meteorological Department

Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700 091.