Sky Watcher - December 2024

Venus and Jupiter dominate the early evening sky, the familiar winter stars return, and a Black Moon is a guest in the late December sky. Keep reading to learn what we can see in our sky from mid-Missouri!

Venus and Crescent Moon in the SW

Venus has been crossing paths with the young crescent moon for a few months now, and December is no exception. Spot bright planet Venus and the three day old Moon in the southwest just after sunset on December 4.

Bright Planet Jupiter with Two Star Clusters

About a week after the Venus and the Moon’s rendezvous, Jupiter will be easily visible in the early evening very near to two star clusters, the Hyades and Pleiades. These two clusters are easy naked-eye objects during late fall and early winter. Jupiter will also be easily visible in our evening sky until spring.

December’s Black Moon

New Moon: December 1

First Quarter Moon: December 8

Full Moon: December 15

Third Quarter Moon: December 22

New Moon: December 30

You may have heard of a “blue moon” before, but have you heard of a black moon? A Black Moon is the name for the second New Moon in one calendar month. On the contrary, the most common definition of a Blue Moon is the second Full Moon in one calendar month.

December will be host to two new moons: one on December 1 and another on December 30. Usually, Black Moons are forgotten about as they are invisible for the same reason we cannot see any other New Moon phase: the moon appears too close to the Sun to be seen. While we will not be able to view this phenomenon, it is a rare astronomical occurrence. One lunar cycle is approximately 29.5 days, so occasionally one calendar month will either have two new moons or two full moons. February is the exception to this rule, as the month of February is always shorter than one lunar cycle.