The Sky for the Month

The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — December 2170

Computed for The Briars, Mt Martha. Times are local (Melbourne).

4TueThe Moon passes Jupiter — 4° apart. (3:58am)
4TueMercury at greatest morning elongation (20° from the Sun, mag −0.5) — best morning apparition. (11:16am)
14FriThe Moon passes Saturn — 3° apart. (12:02am)
14FriGeminids meteor shower peaks (up to 150/hr). A 40% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
22SatSummer solstice.
22SatUrsids meteor shower peaks (up to 10/hr). A bright 99% Moon interferes badly this year.

Date	Sunrise	Sunset	Day length	Astro. dark begins	ends
Sat 1	5:50am	8:27pm	14h 37m	10:19pm	3:58am
Mon 10	5:49am	8:35pm	14h 46m	10:30pm	3:54am
Thu 20	5:52am	8:42pm	14h 50m	10:39pm	3:55am
Mon 31	5:59am	8:46pm	14h 47m	10:41pm	4:03am

Days lengthen by about 10 minutes over the month.

Perigee 5 Dec (363,900 km) · Apogee 17 Dec (405,000 km)

Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.

Planet	In	Mag	Rise	Transit	Set	Best
Mercury	Sco	−0.6	4:50am	12:01pm	7:12pm	Hidden
Venus	Lib	−4.2	3:29am	10:10am	4:51pm	Morning
Mars	Sgr	1.2	8:05am	3:25pm	10:45pm	Hidden
Jupiter	Vir	−1.6	2:26am	8:44am	3:01pm	Morning
Saturn	Aqr	0.8	11:17am	5:59pm	12:45am	Evening
Uranus	Aqr	5.9	11:01am	5:45pm	12:32am	Evening
Neptune	Cap	7.9	10:14am	5:06pm	12:03am	Evening

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 40% 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 99% Moon interferes badly this year.

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.

Generated automatically from the MPAS sky engine on 7 October 2026.