The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — December 1972
Highlights this month
- 6WedMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (2:15am)
- 9SatSaturn at opposition — closest and brightest of the year, up all night in Taurus (mag −0.6). (12:52pm)
- 14ThuGeminids meteor shower peaks (up to 150/hr). A 55% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
- 14ThuMercury at greatest morning elongation (21° from the Sun, mag −0.4) — best morning apparition. (4:45pm)
- 20WedThe Moon passes Saturn — 4° apart. (1:41am)
- 22FriSummer solstice.
- 22FriUrsids meteor shower peaks (up to 10/hr). A bright 95% Moon interferes badly this year.
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 1 | 5:51am | 8:27pm | 14h 37m | 10:20pm | 3:58am |
| Sat 10 | 5:50am | 8:36pm | 14h 46m | 10:31pm | 3:55am |
| Tue 20 | 5:52am | 8:42pm | 14h 50m | 10:39pm | 3:56am |
| Sat 31 | 5:59am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:42pm | 4:03am |
Days lengthen by about 10 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- New MoonWed 6, 7:22am
- First QuarterThu 14, 5:43am
- Full Moon SupermoonWed 20, 8:48pm
- Last QuarterWed 27, 9:25pm
Apogee 4 Dec (406,200 km) · Perigee 19 Dec (358,200 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Sco | −0.4 | 4:42am | 11:46am | 6:51pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Lib | −3.7 | 4:17am | 11:18am | 6:20pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Lib | 1.7 | 3:54am | 10:53am | 5:52pm | Hidden |
| Jupiter | Sgr | −1.7 | 7:25am | 2:45pm | 10:05pm | Hidden |
| Saturn | Tau | −0.6 | 7:53pm | 12:49am | 5:41am | All night |
| Uranus | Vir | 5.6 | 2:41am | 9:08am | 3:36pm | Morning |
| Neptune | Sco | 8.0 | 4:53am | 12:01pm | 7:08pm | Hidden |
Meteor showers
- Geminids — peaks 14 December, radiant in Gemini (up to 150/hr). The richest shower of the year; the radiant reaches a useful altitude after local midnight, so it rewards southern observers well. A 55% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
- Ursids — peaks 22 December, radiant in Ursa Minor (up to 10/hr). A circumpolar northern shower whose radiant never rises from Victoria. A bright 95% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — December 1972
Evening sky Morning sky Up much of the night Lost in the Sun’s glare
Open the full interactive orrery ↗ — fast-forward, pick any date, toggle the Moon and more.
Looking for an earlier month? Browse all past monthly guides →
Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 24 August 2026.