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, November 7: Venus, Moon Conjunction
November 7, 2021: During the early evening Venus and the moon group together in the southwest.
2021, November 6: Autumn’s Midpoint
November 6, 2021: The midpoint of Autumn occurs today.
2021, November 3: Unusual Mercury, Crescent Moon Spectacular
November 3, 2021: Before sunrise speedy planet Mercury, the crescent moon, and the star Spica are grouped together. The trio does not appear this close together again until 2033.
2021, October 31: NO Halloween Full Moon
October 31, 2021: There is no Halloween Full moon this year, and the phase is not close. The crescent moon is in the morning sky. Mercury is low in the east-southeast before sunrise. The planet pack – Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter – gleam in the evening sky.
2021, October 29: Venus, Greatest Elongation
October 29, 2021: Venus reaches its greatest elongation from the sun. It is in the evening sky with Jupiter and Saturn. The crescent moon and Mercury are in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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