| Night Time: | 14 hours, 21 minutes |
|---|---|
| Sunset: | Dec 19 at 4:54 pm |
| End of Twilight*: | Dec 19 at 5:56 pm |
| Start of Twilight*: | Dec 20 at 6:14 am |
| Sunrise: | Dec 20 at 7:15 am |
Winter Solstice: Shortest Day, but Not the Latest Sunrise
December 21, 2024, is the winter solstice and the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. But the Sun continues to rise later each morning—what’s going on?
Our Interactive Night Sky Map simulates the sky above 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W. The Moon and planets have been enlarged slightly for clarity. On mobile devices, tap to steer the map by pointing your device at the sky. Need some help?
Tonight's Sky in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W, Dec 19 – Dec 20, 2024
Mercury rise and set in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W
View just before sunrise.
Mercury is close to the Sun and can only be seen shortly before sunrise. Try finding a good, unobstructed view of the horizon.
Fri, Dec 20 ↑5:32 am
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Venus rise and set in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W
View after sunset.
Venus can best be seen in the hours just after sunset. Visibility improves as the sunlight fades. Venus is visible by day, but may be hard to find.
Thu, Dec 19 ↓8:27 pm
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Mars rise and set in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W
Most of the night until sunrise.
Mars is visible during most of the night, but it is best viewed in the early morning hours and until sunrise.
Thu, Dec 19 ↑7:29 pm
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Jupiter rise and set in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W
Up most of the night.
Jupiter is roughly in the opposite direction of the Sun, so it is visible during most of the night.
Fri, Dec 20 ↓6:15 am
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Saturn rise and set in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W
View after sunset.
Saturn can best be seen in the hours just after sunset. Visibility improves as the sunlight fades.
Thu, Dec 19 ↓10:51 pm
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Uranus rise and set in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W
After sunset and most of the night. Bring binoculars.
Uranus is visible during most of the night, but it is best viewed in the late evening hours after sunset. You may need binoculars.
Fri, Dec 20 ↓4:36 am
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Neptune rise and set in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W
View after sunset. Use binoculars.
Neptune can best be seen in the hours just after sunset. Visibility improves as the sunlight fades. Very faint, use binoculars.
Thu, Dec 19 ↓11:57 pm
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Planets Visible in 36°36'00.8"N, 121°53'40.8"W
| Planetrise/Planetset, Thu, Dec 19, 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planet | Rise | Set | Meridian | Comment |
| Mercury | Fri 5:32 am | Fri 3:38 pm | Fri 10:35 am | Average visibility |
| Venus | Thu 10:16 am | Thu 8:27 pm | Thu 3:21 pm | Good visibility |
| Mars | Thu 7:29 pm | Fri 9:55 am | Fri 2:42 am | Perfect visibility |
| Jupiter | Thu 3:52 pm | Fri 6:15 am | Thu 11:03 pm | Perfect visibility |
| Saturn | Thu 11:36 am | Thu 10:51 pm | Thu 5:14 pm | Average visibility |
| Uranus | Thu 2:37 pm | Fri 4:36 am | Thu 9:37 pm | Average visibility |
| Neptune | Thu 12:07 pm | Thu 11:57 pm | Thu 6:02 pm | Very difficult to see |
