December 2012 presents a great big plateful of planetary delights, with all five visible planets shining in the night sky this month. Mars and Jupiter come out at evening, but you must be willing to wake up early to catch Venus, Saturn and Mercury in the predawn and/or dawn sky. In their outward order from the sun, the visible planets are Mercury, Venus, (Earth), Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
December starts out with a mighty bang. Jupiter’s encounter with Earth on December 1, 2012 will be the closest until the year 2021. Saturn, Venus and Mercury – will align with the Egyptian pyramids before sunrise on December 3, 2012.
That’s only the start of what’s to come this month, as the new moon leaves a dark sky for watching the prolific Geminid meteor shower on the nights of December 12, 13 and 14, and the full Long Night Moon beautifies the night of December 27.
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