| Night Time: | 17 hours, 25 minutes |
|---|---|
| Sunset: | Dec 22 at 3:33 pm |
| End of Twilight*: | Dec 22 at 5:15 pm |
| Start of Twilight*: | Dec 23 at 7:15 am |
| Sunrise: | Dec 23 at 8:58 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 Inverness. 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 Inverness, Dec 22 – Dec 23, 2024
Mercury rise and set in Inverness
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.
Mon, Dec 23 ↑6:54 am
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Venus rise and set in Inverness
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.
Sun, Dec 22 ↓7:39 pm
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Mars rise and set in Inverness
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.
Sun, Dec 22 ↑5:51 pm
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Jupiter rise and set in Inverness
Up most of the night.
Jupiter is roughly in the opposite direction of the Sun, so it is visible during most of the night.
Mon, Dec 23 ↓7:41 am
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Saturn rise and set in Inverness
View after sunset.
Saturn can best be seen in the hours just after sunset. Visibility improves as the sunlight fades.
Sun, Dec 22 ↓10:25 pm
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Uranus rise and set in Inverness
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.
Mon, Dec 23 ↓5:45 am
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Neptune rise and set in Inverness
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.
Sun, Dec 22 ↓11:50 pm
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Planets Visible in Inverness
| Planetrise/Planetset, Sun, Dec 22, 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planet | Rise | Set | Meridian | Comment |
| Mercury | Mon 6:54 am | Mon 2:30 pm | Mon 10:42 am | Average visibility |
| Venus | Sun 11:25 am | Sun 7:39 pm | Sun 3:32 pm | Great visibility |
| Mars | Sun 5:51 pm | Mon 11:26 am | Mon 2:38 am | Perfect visibility |
| Jupiter | Sun 2:20 pm | Mon 7:41 am | Sun 11:00 pm | Perfect visibility |
| Saturn | Sun 12:02 pm | Sun 10:25 pm | Sun 5:13 pm | Average visibility |
| Uranus | Sun 1:25 pm | Mon 5:45 am | Sun 9:35 pm | Average visibility |
| Neptune | Sun 12:12 pm | Sun 11:50 pm | Sun 6:01 pm | Very difficult to see |
