Sky Watch, December
December 1, 2025
by Peter Lutken
It was cold and rainy the week of Thanksgiving, but the leaves are starting to be beautiful this fall! The Winter Solstice is on December 21; it's the shortest day of the year with under 10 hours of sunlight! The long nights are perfect for stargazing.
Evening Skies: Saturn is high in the southeast, near Fomalhaut, the “Fall Star.” Jupiter is rising at about 9:00 p.m. and is up most of the night, leading the Winter stars: Orion, Taurus, and Gemini across the sky.
Full Moon: December 4.
Morning Skies: The Big Dipper, Arcturus, and Spica, stars of late winter and spring, are well up, rising earlier every day. Jupiter is setting in the west.
Quarry/Outdoors: As cold fronts arrive, the colors of the leaves get better and better! They’ll begin to blow away after the Solstice. Migrating Ducks, like these Wigeons joining some Geese in the Quarry, are arriving every week now!
It’s a great time of year to get outdoors, take a walk, and watch as the seasons turn!
PKL
