Sky Chart For The Month of December, 2007
ASTRONOMICAL BULLETIN FOR DECEMBER 2007
The Moon
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Last Quarter occurs on 1st at h. 18-14 I.S.T. |
New Moon occurs on 9th at h. 23-10 I.S.T. |
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First Quarter occurs on 17th at h. 15-48 I.S.T. |
Full Moon occurs on 24th at h. 06-46 I.S.T. |
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Last Quarter occurs on 31st at h. 13-21 I.S.T. |
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The Lunar Crescent becomes first visible after the New Moon day in the evening of 11th. |
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The Moon is at Apogee or farthest from the Earth on 6th and at Perigee or nearest to the Earth on 22nd |
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The Moon passes about 2½º South of Saturn on 1st, 7º South of Venus on 6th, 4½º South of Jupiter on 10th, about ½º South of Neptune on 14th, 2½º North of Uranus on 16th, 1º North of Mars on 24th and again about 3º South of Saturn in the early hours of 29th.
The Earth
The Earth is at Winter Solstice on 22nd.
The Planets
The Visibility of Planets :
Mercury: The planet is too near the Sun to be visible during the month, being in Superior Conjunction with Sun on 17th.
Venus: It is a brilliant object, can be seen in the eastern sky before sunrise and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight during the month. It rises about three hours before sunrise.
Mars: The planet can be seen in the late evening towards the eastern sky and remains visible till the beginning of the morning twilight throughout the month. It rises within two hours to one and a half hour after sunset during the first quarter of the month, one and a half hour to half an hour after it upto middle of the month and near to sunset time till third quarter of the month. The planet comes nearest to the Earth on 19th. During the last quarter of the month, it rises at about sunset and sets at about sunrise, being in Opposition with the Sun on 25th when it is visible throughout the night.
Jupiter: The planet can be seen in the evening in the western sky after sunset. It sets about one hour after sunset for more than first quarter of the month. Thereafter it is too near the Sun to be visible.
Saturn: The planet can be seen from the late night in the eastern sky and remains visible till the beginning of morning twilight throughout the month. At the beginning of the month it rises before local midnight, being in Qudrature with Sun on 1st. The planet rises within half an hour to one hour before local midnight during the first quarter of the month, one hour to one and a half hour before it upto middle of the month, one and a half hour to two hours before it upto third quarter of the month and about two hours to two and a half hours before it for the remaining days of the month. The motion of the planet becomes Retrograde with respect to the Earth on 19th.
Uranus: The planet can be seen in the evening in the western sky after sunset throughout the month. It sets at about local midnight during the first quarter of the month, being in Quadrature with Sun on 7th. The planet sets within half an hour to one hour before local midnight upto middle of the month, one hour to one and a half hour before it till the third quarter of the month and about one and a half hour to two hours before it for the remaining days of the month.
Neptune: The planet can be seen in the evening in the western sky after sunset throughout the month. It sets within two hours to two and a half hours before local midnight during the first quarter of the month, two and a half hours to three hours after it upto middle of the month and about three hours to three and a half hours before it till third quarter of the month. During the last quarter of the month the planet sets three hours after sunset.
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Planets |
Planets in Zodiacal Constellation |
Magnitude |
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Mercury (Budha) |
Moves from Scorpio (Vrischika) to Sagittarius (Dhanus) on 17th. |
- |
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Venus (Sukra) |
Moves from Libra (Tula) to Scorpio (Vrischika) on 25th. |
-4.1 |
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Mars (Mangala) |
Remains in Gemini (Mithuna). |
-1.5 |
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Jupiter (Brihaspati) |
Remains in Sagittarius (Dhanus). |
-1.8 |
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Saturn (Sani) |
Remains in Leo (Simha). |
+0.7 |
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Uranus |
Remains in Aquarius (Kumbha). |
+6.0 |
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Neptune |
Remains in Capricornus (Makara). |
+8.0 |
Source : : Director
Positional Astronomy Centre
India Meteorological Department
New Alipore, Kolkata - 700 053.