| Night Time: | 15 hours, 27 minutes |
|---|---|
| Sunset: | Dec 18 at 4:35 pm |
| End of Twilight*: | Dec 18 at 5:49 pm |
| Start of Twilight*: | Dec 19 at 6:48 am |
| Sunrise: | Dec 19 at 8:01 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 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"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 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"W, Dec 18 – Dec 19, 2024
Mercury rise and set in 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"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.
Thu, Dec 19 ↑6:12 am
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Venus rise and set in 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"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.
Wed, Dec 18 ↓8:14 pm
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Mars rise and set in 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"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.
Wed, Dec 18 ↑7:16 pm
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Jupiter rise and set in 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"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.
Thu, Dec 19 ↓7:05 am
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Saturn rise and set in 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"W
View after sunset.
Saturn can best be seen in the hours just after sunset. Visibility improves as the sunlight fades.
Wed, Dec 18 ↓10:59 pm
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Uranus rise and set in 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"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.
Thu, Dec 19 ↓5:20 am
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Neptune rise and set in 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"W
View after sunset. Use binoculars.
Neptune can be seen for more than 7 hours after sunset and during the late evening/early night. Very faint, use binoculars.
Thu, Dec 19 ↓12:13 am
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Planets Visible in 46°36'02.4"N, 95°21'50.4"W
| Planetrise/Planetset, Wed, Dec 18, 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planet | Rise | Set | Meridian | Comment |
| Mercury | Thu 6:12 am | Thu 3:29 pm | Thu 10:50 am | Slightly difficult to see |
| Venus | Wed 10:56 am | Wed 8:14 pm | Wed 3:35 pm | Good visibility |
| Mars | Wed 7:16 pm | Thu 10:46 am | Thu 3:01 am | Perfect visibility |
| Jupiter | Wed 3:38 pm | Thu 7:05 am | Wed 11:22 pm | Perfect visibility |
| Saturn | Wed 12:04 pm | Wed 10:59 pm | Wed 5:32 pm | Average visibility |
| Uranus | Wed 2:29 pm | Thu 5:20 am | Wed 9:55 pm | Average visibility |
| Neptune | Wed 12:28 pm | Thu 12:13 am | Wed 6:20 pm | Difficult to see |
