July 5 - Full Moon. On December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will have their once-in-20-years conjunction in our sky, appearing closer than they have for centuries, only 1/5 of a moon-diameter apart. Look for the waxing crescent moon near Jupiter and Saturn on December 16 and 17, 2020. Many coastal tribes called it the Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn. December 21, 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. The giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. You can’t miss these two. In other words, you have to catch them soon after sunset. It peaks this year on the night of the 21st and the morning of of the 22nd. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. The great conjunction, as the planetary alignment has come to be known, hasn't occurred in nearly 800 years. Watch for the waxing gibbous moon near the red planet Mars on the sky’s dome for several days, centered on or near December 23, 2020. On December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will align to light up the sky for a rare astronomical spectacle, a sight that's not been seen since 1226. 2020 carries some of the most potent cosmic energy we have seen in a long time and this is mainly due to the alignment of Pluto and Saturn, which peaks in January 2020.. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. Venus, the brightest planet, is in the east before sunrise. The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. May 23 - Comet Atlas. At and near the equator, Venus rises 1 5/6 hours before the sun in early December, decreasing to 1 1/2 hours by the month’s end. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time of year to gather ripening fruit. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual. Venus – the brightest planet – reached its greatest elongation from the sun in the morning sky on August 12 or 13 (depending upon your time zone). The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset. Mercury starts out the month in the morning sky and ends the month in the evening sky. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's partial shadow, or penumbra. In October 2020, Mars was brighter than it will be again until September 2035. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky. Let the young moon help you to locate Mercury after sunset on January 14, 15 and 16, 2021. This is the best time to view Venus since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset. This phase occurs at 02:27 UTC. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 23.6 degrees from the Sun. The âconjunction,â or alignment, of the two planets hasnât happened since 1226. The last great conjunction occurred in the year 2000. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. December 14 - New Moon. November 10 - Mercury at Greatest Western Elongation. Read more. To see these worlds, find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset, and seek them out rather low in the sky as soon as darkness falls. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. All content on this site is Copyright © 1998 - 2016 by Sea and Sky. The shower runs annually from October 6-10 and peaks this year on the the night of the 7th. Try Stellarium for a precise view of the planets from your location. The Southern Taurids is produced by debris left behind by Comet 2P Encke. That’s because – on October 13, 2020 – Mars reached opposition in our sky, when it was opposite the sun as seen from Earth. It has also been known as the Frosty Moon and the Dark Moon. Inferior conjunction – when Venus sweeps between the sun and Earth – happened on June 3, 2020. April 8 - Full Moon, Supermoon. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Sturgeon Moon because the large sturgeon fish of the Great Lakes and other major lakes were more easily caught at this time of year. Then, on December 10, 2020, look for the moon near the bright star Spica, with the twosome high above the dazzling planet Venus. The last great Jupiter-Saturn conjunction was May 28, 2000. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. This moon has also been known as the Rose Moon and the Honey Moon. June 5 - Full Moon. Mercury won’t be easy to catch this month from anywhere around the world. This is also the last of four supermoons for 2020. This shower is, however, famous for producing a higher than normal percentage of bright fireballs. On the evening of closest approach on December 21, 2020, they will look like a double planet, separated by only 1/5 the diameter of the full moon. This phase occurs at 21:44 UTC. It peaks this year on the night of 4th and morning of the 5th. It peaks this year on the night of the 11th and morning of the 12th. At mid-northern latitudes, Venus rises about 2 1/2 hours before the sun in early December, tapering down to about 1 1/2 hours by the month’s end. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. July 14 - Jupiter at Opposition. Actually, it ⦠It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. The blue giant planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. Click the name of a planet to learn more about its visibility in December 2020: Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mercury. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. Bruce McClure has served as lead writer for EarthSky's popular Tonight pages since 2004. The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. This is the best time to view Uranus. This phase occurs at 05:08 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. The two bright planets will appear only 7 arc minutes of each other in the night sky. The Draconids is a minor meteor shower producing only about 10 meteors per hour. Although Saturn is easily as bright as a 1st-magnitude star – as bright as the brightest stars in our sky – the ringed planet can’t compete with the the king planet Jupiter, which outshines Saturn by some 11 times. This is the best time to view and photograph Neptune. This moon has also been know as the Old Moon and the Moon After Yule. October 13 - Mars at Opposition. This phase occurs at 21:06 UTC. Watch for the waning crescent moon to shine with Venus in the morning sky for several days, centered around December 12. Venus’ disk is 89% illuminated in early December, and 94% illuminated by the month’s end; Venus’ angular diameter, on the other hand, will shrink to about 91% of its initial size by late December. You can use the UTC clock widget below to figure out how many hours to add or subtract for your local time. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. The June solstice occurs at 21:43 UTC. This could potentially make it the second brightest object in the night sky besides the moon. November 30 - Full Moon. The Draconids is an unusual shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening instead of early morning like most other showers. The path of totality will only be visible in parts of southern Chile and southern Argentina. Events & Star Parties | Clubs & Organizations | Equipment Guide | Astronomy Software 2020âs Winter Solstice Rare Planetary Alignment. Let the moon help guide your eye to Mars for several nights centered on or near December 23. December 2020 will show you 3 bright planets as soon as darkness falls: Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but can appear anywhere in the sky. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the evening sky. After all, Jupiter almost always ranks as the fourth brightest celestial object, after the sun, the moon and the planet Venus, respectively (although Mars temporarily reigned as the fourth-brightest celestial body – and Jupiter as the fifth-brightest – in October 2020). Click here for recommended almanacs. January 24 - New Moon. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky. Glossary of Terms | Astronomy FAQ | Messier Catalog | Astronomical Calendar The Southern Taurids is a long-running minor meteor shower producing only about 5-10 meteors per hour. The shower runs annually from October 2 to November 7. August 13 - Venus at Greatest Western Elongation. Thanks, Paul! Jupiter and Saturn come out first thing at nightfall in December 2020, and will continue to do so until the year’s end. As viewed through the telescope, Venus’ waxing gibbous phase will widen, yet its overall disk size will shrink. This phenomenon will occur as the So . December 2020 will show you 3 bright planets as soon as darkness falls: Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. In their outward order from the sun, the five bright planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. This is also the third of four supermoons for 2020 and will be the closest and brightest full moon of the year. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. October 31 - Uranus at Opposition. Jupiter and Saturn will have their once-in-20-years conjunction on December 21. Great conjunctions of these two giant worlds happen every 20 years, but this year’s event will be the closest Jupiter-Saturn conjunction since the year 1623. In December, Jupiter, Saturn will look like double planet for first time since the Middle Ages Nov 20, 2020 Mystery of the Star of Bethlehem unlikely to be resolved The Delta Aquarids is an average shower that can produce up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. This phase occurs at 15:33 UTC. This rare calendar event only occurs every few months, giving rise to the term "once in a blue moon". May 22 - New Moon. Near the month’s end, the twosome follows the sun beneath the horizon around 1 1/2 hours after sunset. Most of the astronomical events on this calendar can be seen with unaided eye, although some may require a good pair of binoculars for best viewing. This moon has also been known as the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon. The shower runs annually from November 6-30. January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The morning of the 15th could also be nearly as active this year. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. If you are patient, you may still be able to catch a few good ones. If you have a telescope, it’s best to use it when Jupiter and Saturn are highest up for the night at dusk/nightfall. Star-gazers have been waiting for this rare moment to happen since this summer. "In December of 2020, we are in for the beginning of a new age, [as] Saturn and Jupiter will be aligning in the sign of Aquarius," astrologer Aaya Samadhi tells Bustle. The red planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. But look out, because December is set to deliver some of the most extraordinary planetary alignments and powerful lunations of the year so far, making astrology of the 2020 ⦠Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. By Raphael Benedict December 10, 2020 No Comments. Some 10 weeks later, Venus reached its greatest elongation in the morning sky on August 13, 2020 (when its disk was about 50% illuminated by sunshine). Messier Album | The Solar System | The Constellations | Celestial Objects The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. Image via UCLA. Newly discovered comet Atlas will make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 72 million miles (116 million kilometers). The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual. The shower runs annually from December 17-25. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. This phase occurs at 11:00 UTC. The nearly new moon will ensure dark skies for what should be a good show this year. December 10, 2020 Planetary alignment to create a âChristmas starâ (NASA, ESA, STScI, A. Simon, M. via AP) This Aug 25, 2020, image captured by NASAâs Hubble Space Telescope shows the planet Jupiter and one of its moons, Europa, at left, when the planet was 406 million miles from Earth. July 20 - Saturn at Opposition. Please note that all dates and times are given in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) must be converted to your local date and time. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Bootes, but can appear anywhere in the sky. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 02:42 UTC. Due to its extreme distance from Earth, it will only appear as a tiny blue dot in all but the most powerful telescopes. Space Exploration | Space Games | Space Gallery | Space Links, Visit Us on Facebook | Follow Us on Twitter. They havenât been that close since 1623 when they were 0.08 degrees apart, and they wonât likely be this close again until 2080, ⦠This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Wolf Moon because this was the time of year when hungry wolf packs howled outside their camps. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. This astronomy calendar of celestial events contains dates for notable celestial events including moon phases, meteor showers, eclipses, oppositions, conjunctions, and other interesting events. Look first for brilliant Jupiter; Saturn is the bright object immediately to Jupiter’s east for the first three weeks of December. It peaks this year on the night of the 3rd and morning of the 4th. All though comets are extremely difficult to forecast, some astronomers believe that comet Atlas could brighten to a magnitude of between + 1 and -5. The nearly new moon will ensure dark skies for what should be an excellent show. It is produced by comet Swift-Tuttle, which was discovered in 1862. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. This phase occurs at 17:39 UTC. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side of the planet. In May 2020, Jupiter and Saturn were closer together, whereas Mars was farther away from Jupiter and Saturn. This phase occurs at 07:34 UTC. This is the best time to view and photograph Saturn and its moons. October 7 - Draconids Meteor Shower. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear anywhere in the sky. Content from this Website may not be used in any form without written permission from the site owner. February 23 - New Moon. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far away from the Earth to completely cover the Sun. It peaks this year on the night of the 13th and morning of the 14th. It is produced by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982. He also writes and hosts public astronomy programs and planetarium programs in and around his home in upstate New York. November 16, 17 - Leonids Meteor Shower. This is also the second of four supermoons for 2020. The guiding point, which is also called the Star of Bethlehem, is actually two plants in a line. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. Bottom line: December 2020 presents three bright planets in the evening sky: Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, plus the brightest planet of them all in the morning sky: Venus. He's a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. February 9 - Full Moon, Supermoon. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. The celestial synchronisation has been in the works since summer as Jupiter and Saturn have been moving closer together in the night sky, and between 16-25 December they'll ⦠The nearly full moon will be a problem this year, blocking out all but the brightest meteors. October 1 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. During this type of eclipse the Moon will darken slightly but not completely. The Northern Taurids is produced by dust grains left behind by Asteroid 2004 TG10. December 21, 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower. If you notice just one object in the sky after sunset, it might be very bright Jupiter. The planet Venus reaches greatest western elongation of 45.8 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. This phase occurs at 09:32 UTC. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. It also coincides with the peak of the strawberry harvesting season. To search this site, type your search word(s) in the July 5 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. If not, massive, devastating earthquake activity is possible, as are tsunamis. Watch for the moon in the neighborhood of Jupiter and Saturn for a few days, on December 16 and 17. On December 21 the Christmas star will be visible, though it isn't actually a star at all. box below and click the search button: Home Page | Explore the The Sea | Explore the The Sky, Space News | Astronomy Resources | Astronomy Events Calendar The Perseids are famous for producing a large number of bright meteors. Look to the west just after sunset for this impressive and rare planetary pair. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 25.8 degrees from the Sun. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus, but can appear anywhere in the sky. This phase occurs at 17:48 UTC. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour. SHARE. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Taurus, but can appear anywhere in the sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. The Sun will shine directly on the equator and there will be nearly equal amounts of day and night throughout the world. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. It peaks this year on the the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be visible all night long. This phase occurs at 06:42 UTC. But it's been 800 years since they came as close to each other as they will on Dec. 21, 2020. Global climate change shocks will become apparent between 2008 and 2023. By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that is easily visible without an optical aid and that has been watched by our ancestors since time immemorial. This results in a ring of light around the darkened Moon. The planetary alignment of Jupiter and Saturn occurs about every 20 years, but the planets will be 0.10 degrees apart this year. This phase occurs at 03:30 UTC. Jupiter and Saturn make their closest approach on the night of December 21, 2020. This phase occurs at 04:44 UTC. The shower runs annually from July 17 to August 24. The large, gaseous planets of Jupiter and Saturn will come together for a rare planetary alignment in December not seen since medieval times, astronomers said. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Worm Moon because this was the time of year when the ground would begin to soften and the earthworms would reappear. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Astronomers use the word conjunction to describe meetings of planets and other objects on our sky’s dome. pleiadian intel about this celestial event: May 7 - Full Moon, Supermoon. December 13, 14 - Geminids Meteor Shower. This planet outshines all the stars, plus it’s near another bright planet, Saturn. This is also the first of four supermoons for 2020. The second quarter moon will block many of the fainter meteors this year. A medium-sized telescope will allow you to see some of the dark details on the planet's orange surface. Throughout December, Venus in its faster orbit around the sun will be going farther and farther away from Earth. The thin crescent moon will not be much of a problem this year leaving dark skies for what could be a really good show. The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 17:33 UTC. Look for this world in your western sky after sunset in January 2021. Typically, the view of Jupiter’s four major moons and Saturn’s glorious rings through the telescope is sharper when these worlds are higher up than lower down. March 24 - Venus at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planetary alignment of Jupiter and Saturn occurs about every 20 years, but the planets will be 0.10 degrees apart this year. Even so, Mars remains bright and beautiful all throughout December. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. It peaks this year on the night of the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. (NASA Map and Eclipse Information). Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky. 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