December 13, 2020: The old crescent moon is low in the east-southeast before sunrise. Venus looks on to the upper right of the moon.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:10 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:20 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
This morning, the old crescent moon is about 10° to the lower left of Venus. The moon is very low in the sky. Find a clear horizon toward the southeast. The moon is only about 4° in altitude. The chart above shows the scene about 45 minutes before sunrise.
Detailed Note: Forty-five minutes before sunrise, Venus is about 12° up in the southeast. The razor-thin, crescent moon (28.3d, 2%) – only about 4° up in the east-southeast – is 9.5° to the lower left of Venus.
See our summary about Venus during December 2020 and the feature article about Venus as a Morning Star.
Read more about the planets during December.
2021, February: A Stellar Sampler, Winter’s Stars
During the early evening hours of winter, the stars that shine from the southern sky are a sampler of the sky’s brightest stars.
2021, January 21: Morning Stars, Evening Bright Moon
January 21, 2021: Several bright stars are in the morning sky. This morning look for Antares in the east-southeast. Mercury – near its greatest elongation – is in the west-southwest after sunset. Mars and the moon are near each other. Planet Uranus is near Mars.
2021, January 20: Mercury, Bright Moon, Mars Conjunction
January 20, 2021: Mercury is low in the west-southwest after sunset. The bright moon is to the lower right of Mars, while the Red Planet passes planet Uranus.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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