The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — December 2038
Highlights this month
- 2ThuMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (9:36pm)
- 11SatMercury at greatest morning elongation (21° from the Sun, mag −0.5) — best morning apparition. (6:24am)
- 14TueGeminids meteor shower peaks (up to 150/hr). A bright 94% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 17FriThe Moon passes Jupiter — 4° apart. (9:42pm)
- 18SatJupiter is stationary — begins retrograde (westward) motion. (6:38am)
- 19SunThe Moon passes Saturn — 3° apart. (10:55pm)
- 22WedSummer solstice.
- 22WedUrsids meteor shower peaks (up to 10/hr). A thin 20% Moon leaves the sky dark.
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 1 | 5:50am | 8:27pm | 14h 37m | 10:20pm | 3:58am |
| Fri 10 | 5:50am | 8:35pm | 14h 46m | 10:31pm | 3:55am |
| Mon 20 | 5:52am | 8:42pm | 14h 50m | 10:39pm | 3:56am |
| Fri 31 | 5:59am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:42pm | 4:03am |
Days lengthen by about 10 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- First QuarterFri 3, 11:46pm
- Full MoonSun 12, 4:31am
- Last QuarterSun 19, 8:37pm
- New MoonSun 26, 12:05pm
Apogee 9 Dec (406,000 km) · Perigee 24 Dec (361,300 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Sco | −0.5 | 4:43am | 11:49am | 6:56pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Sgr | −3.7 | 6:51am | 2:18pm | 9:44pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Oph | 1.5 | 4:59am | 12:16pm | 7:34pm | Hidden |
| Jupiter | Leo | −2.0 | 12:37am | 6:01am | 11:25am | Morning |
| Saturn | Vir | 0.9 | 1:50am | 7:44am | 1:38pm | Morning |
| Uranus | Gem | 5.5 | 10:51pm | 3:47am | 8:39am | Morning |
| Neptune | Ari | 7.8 | 4:00pm | 9:32pm | 3:08am | 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 bright 94% Moon interferes badly this year.
- Ursids — peaks 22 December, radiant in Ursa Minor (up to 10/hr). A circumpolar northern shower whose radiant never rises from Victoria. A thin 20% Moon leaves the sky dark.
The solar system — December 2038
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.