The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — December 2018
Highlights this month
- 7FriMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (7:22am)
- 14FriGeminids meteor shower peaks (up to 150/hr). A 38% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
- 15SatThe Moon passes Mars — 3° apart. (1:01pm)
- 15SatMercury at greatest morning elongation (21° from the Sun, mag −0.4) — best morning apparition. (10:16pm)
- 22SatSummer solstice.
- 22SatUrsids meteor shower peaks (up to 10/hr). A bright 100% Moon interferes badly this year.
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 1 | 5:51am | 8:27pm | 14h 37m | 10:20pm | 3:58am |
| Mon 10 | 5:50am | 8:35pm | 14h 46m | 10:31pm | 3:55am |
| Thu 20 | 5:52am | 8:42pm | 14h 50m | 10:39pm | 3:55am |
| Mon 31 | 5:59am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:42pm | 4:03am |
Days lengthen by about 11 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- New MoonFri 7, 6:21pm
- First QuarterSat 15, 10:56pm
- Full MoonSun 23, 4:55am
- Last QuarterSat 29, 8:30pm
Apogee 13 Dec (405,400 km) · Perigee 25 Dec (361,100 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Sco | −0.4 | 4:43am | 11:46am | 6:50pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Lib | −4.7 | 3:33am | 10:13am | 4:53pm | Morning |
| Mars | Aqr | 0.2 | 12:45pm | 7:04pm | 1:25am | Evening |
| Jupiter | Oph | −1.6 | 4:58am | 12:11pm | 7:24pm | Hidden |
| Saturn | Sgr | 0.4 | 7:07am | 2:26pm | 9:44pm | Hidden |
| Uranus | Ari | 5.8 | 4:03pm | 9:32pm | 3:04am | Evening |
| Neptune | Aqr | 7.9 | 12:21pm | 6:46pm | 1:15am | Evening |
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 38% 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 100% Moon interferes badly this year.
The solar system — December 2018
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 15 July 2026.