The Sky over the Mornington Peninsula — December 2189
Highlights this month
- 8TueMercury is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (8:23am)
- 8TueVenus is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (11:10am)
- 11FriNeptune is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (12:55pm)
- 12SatThe Moon passes Mars — 5° apart. (9:11pm)
- 14MonGeminids meteor shower peaks (up to 150/hr). A 46% Moon washes out fainter meteors for part of the night.
- 16WedMercury at greatest morning elongation (21° from the Sun, mag −0.4) — best morning apparition. (9:34pm)
- 18FriThe Moon passes Jupiter — 5° apart. (9:17pm)
- 21MonSummer solstice.
- 22TueUrsids meteor shower peaks (up to 10/hr). A bright 100% Moon interferes badly this year.
- 30WedJupiter is stationary — resumes direct (eastward) motion. (6:37pm)
Sun & twilight
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Astro. dark begins | ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 | 5:50am | 8:27pm | 14h 37m | 10:20pm | 3:58am |
| Thu 10 | 5:50am | 8:35pm | 14h 46m | 10:31pm | 3:54am |
| Sun 20 | 5:52am | 8:42pm | 14h 50m | 10:39pm | 3:55am |
| Thu 31 | 5:59am | 8:46pm | 14h 47m | 10:41pm | 4:03am |
Days lengthen by about 10 minutes over the month.
The Moon
- Last QuarterTue 1, 1:16pm
- New MoonTue 8, 7:15am
- First QuarterTue 15, 2:17am
- Full MoonWed 23, 6:40am
- Last QuarterThu 31, 2:23am
Perigee 8 Dec (356,700 km) · Apogee 21 Dec (406,200 km)
The planets
Rise/set for mid-month at The Briars.
| Planet | In | Mag | Rise | Transit | Set | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Sco | −0.4 | 4:43am | 11:47am | 6:51pm | Hidden |
| Venus | Lib | −4.7 | 4:03am | 10:55am | 5:47pm | Hidden |
| Mars | Cap | 0.9 | 10:27am | 5:20pm | 12:15am | Evening |
| Jupiter | Ari | −2.5 | 4:33pm | 9:56pm | 3:23am | Evening |
| Saturn | Lib | 0.5 | 3:45am | 10:32am | 5:19pm | Hidden |
| Uranus | Ari | 5.7 | 5:15pm | 10:27pm | 3:42am | Evening |
| Neptune | Psc | 7.8 | 1:38pm | 7:43pm | 1:53am | 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 46% 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 2189
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 20 October 2026.