Mercury, Venus and Saturn pictured on 2 December by Paul Sutherland
It may not seem terribly enticing to get out of a warm bed on a frosty December morning, but right now planet Mercury is putting on a fine show for early risers. What’s more, this elusive world, the innermost of the Solar System, is nicely lined up with two other planets – brilliant Venus and Saturn.
Mercury reaches greatest western elongation on the 4th of December when it will rise about two hours before the Sun, shining at magnitude -0.5. Try to catch it for a few days around that date before it draws back towards the Sun again.
Venus is closing in on the Sun again too but still shining brilliantly at around magnitude -4 which makes it impossible to miss if you have a clear sky.
Saturn rises well before dawn at 4am at the start of December and nearly two hours earlier than that by the month’s end. Though much fainter than Venus, it is very bright at around magnitude 0.6. The planet’s spectacular rings are well open now making it a fine sight through a small telescope for early risers.
If you’re wondering what the bright star is just below Venus in the photo, which was taken on the morning of 2 December from Walmer, Kent, that’s the wonderfully named Zubenelgenubi, otherwise known as alpha Librae.
Chart showing positions of the planets at 6.30 am UT on 4 December from London