December 23, 2020: Brilliant Morning Star Venus shines from the southeast before sunrise. It passes 5.5° to the upper left of Antares. The star is at its heliacal rising (first morning appearance).
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:16 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:24 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
Venus slowly slips into bright sunlight. It is rising 2-3 minutes later each morning. This makes it appear lower in the sky each morning. About 45 minutes before sunrise the brilliant Morning Star is only about 9° in altitude.
Antares is making its first morning appearance (heliacal rising). Locate an unobstructed horizon to the southeast to see the planet 5.5° to the upper left of the star.
Detailed Note: Forty-five minutes before sunrise, brilliant Venus is low in the southeast, only about 9° in altitude. The planet is 5.5° to the upper left of Antares. A binocular and a very clear horizon may be needed to see the star. With the binocular look at the starry region of Ophiuchus and Scorpius to the upper right of Venus. In that starfield, Venus is 2.0° to the lower left of ψ Oph and 0.5° to the upper left of Omega Ophiuchi (ω Oph, m = 4.4).
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.
RECENT ARTICLES
2022, September 14: Bright Planets, Moon Overnight, Morning Leo Sickle
September 14, 2022: Three bright planets and the moon are visible overnight. The moon is near Uranus before daybreak. The Sickle of Leo is in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Keep reading2022, September 13: No, Mars not as Large as Moon, Overnight Planet Display
September 13, 2022: Contrary to Internet memes, Mars will not appear as large as the moon when the Red Planet is closest to Earth. Overnight a planet display with Mars, the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn arches across the sky.
Keep reading2022, September 12: Mars Treks Eastward, Overnight Planet Exhibition
September 12, 2022: Mars continues its eastward trek with Taurus. Overnight, Saturn, Jupiter, the bright moon, and Mars put on an exhibition that stretches across over half the sky.
Keep reading