| Night Time: | 14 hours, 46 minutes |
|---|---|
| Sunset: | Dec 5 at 4:19 pm |
| End of Twilight*: | Dec 5 at 5:25 pm |
| Start of Twilight*: | Dec 6 at 5:59 am |
| Sunrise: | Dec 6 at 7:05 am |
December’s Extreme Full Moon
The Full Moon on December 15 will rise and set at its most extreme northerly points on the horizon—the result of a once-every-18.6 years “major lunar standstill.”
Our Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W. The Moon and planets have been enlarged slightly for clarity. On mobile devices, tap to steer the map by pointing your device at the sky. Need some help?
Currently showing previous night. For planet visibility in the coming night, please check again after 12 noon.
Tonight's Sky in 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W, Dec 5 – Dec 6, 2024
Venus rise and set in 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W
View after sunset.
Venus can best be seen in the hours just after sunset. Visibility improves as the sunlight fades. Venus is visible by day, but may be hard to find.
Thu, Dec 5 ↓7:29 pm
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Mars rise and set in 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W
View in the early morning.
Mars can be seen for more than 11 hours during the late night/early morning and until sunrise.
Thu, Dec 5 ↑8:00 pm
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Jupiter rise and set in 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W
Up almost all night.
Jupiter is roughly in the opposite direction of the Sun in the sky, and is, therefore, visible most of the night. This is the best time of the year to view the planet.
Thu, Dec 5 ↑4:22 pm
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Saturn rise and set in 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W
View after sunset.
Saturn can be seen for more than 7 hours after sunset and during the late evening/early night.
Thu, Dec 5 ↓11:21 pm
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Uranus rise and set in 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W
Up most of the night. Bring binoculars.
Uranus is roughly in the opposite direction of the Sun, so it is visible during most of the night. You may need binoculars.
Fri, Dec 6 ↓5:31 am
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Neptune rise and set in 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W
View after sunset. Use binoculars.
Neptune can be seen for more than 8 hours after sunset and during the late evening/early night. Very faint, use binoculars.
Fri, Dec 6 ↓12:35 am
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Planets Visible in 42°05'59.7"N, 87°48'03.2"W
| Planetrise/Planetset, Fri, Dec 6, 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planet | Rise | Set | Meridian | Comment |
| Mercury | Thu 7:07 am | Thu 4:25 pm | Thu 11:46 am | Very close to Sun, not visible |
| Venus | Thu 10:20 am | Thu 7:29 pm | Thu 2:54 pm | Good visibility |
| Mars | Thu 8:00 pm | Fri 10:51 am | Fri 3:25 am | Perfect visibility |
| Jupiter | Thu 4:22 pm | Fri 7:18 am | Thu 11:50 pm | Perfect visibility |
| Saturn | Thu 12:19 pm | Thu 11:21 pm | Thu 5:50 pm | Great visibility |
| Uranus | Thu 3:04 pm | Fri 5:31 am | Thu 10:18 pm | Average visibility |
| Neptune | Thu 12:47 pm | Fri 12:35 am | Thu 6:41 pm | Difficult to see |
