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1
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New Moon at 14:59 UT. Beginning of lunation 1026. New Moon occurs twice this month (see Dec 31).
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4
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Moon near Venus at 19h UT (42° from Sun, evening sky).
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5
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Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 5h UT (distance 367,364 km; size 32.6').
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8
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First Quarter Moon at 9:36 UT.
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12
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Moon near Mars at 4h UT (evening sky). Mag. -1.3.
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12
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Venus at brightest at 12h UT. Mag. -4.7.
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12
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Mercury at greatest elongation, 24° west from the Sun (morning sky) at 13h UT. Mag. -0.4, very low in the east-southeast.
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13
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Moon near the Pleiades at 21h UT (evening sky).
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14
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Geminid Meteor Shower peaks at 4:30 UT. Produces bright, medium-speed meteors at its peak on the night of December 13-14 (up to 80 meteors/hour).
The parent body of the Geminids is a mysterious asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon believed to be an extinct comet. Moonlight interferes this year.
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15
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Full Moon at 16:15 UT. The full Moon of December is called the "Moon Before Yule" in folklore.
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18
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Moon near Pollux at 1h UT (morning sky).
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19
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Moon near Saturn at 12h UT (morning sky). Mag. 0.0.
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21
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Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 3h UT (distance 405,014 km; angular size 29.5').
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21
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Moon near Regulus at 3h UT (morning sky).
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21
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December solstice at 18:36 UT. The time when the Sun reaches the point farthest south of the celestial equator marking the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
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23
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Last Quarter Moon at 19:36 UT.
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25
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Moon very near Spica at 14h UT (morning sky). Occultation visible from most of North America except southwest and west.
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27
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Moon near Jupiter at 1h UT (53° from Sun, morning sky). Mag. -1.8.
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29
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Moon very near Antares at 1h UT (28° from Sun, morning sky).
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31
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New Moon at 3:12 UT. Beginning of lunation 1027. Second time this month.
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All times Universal Time (UT). USA Eastern Standard Time = UT - 5 hours.
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