December 2005 Phenomena
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
December
For terms in boldface, see Astronomical Terms.
| Day | Phenomenon | Hour |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEW MOON | 1500 |
| 4 | Mercury appears to be motionless in the sky as it moves toward its greatest elongation west of the Sun from a position east of the Sun as viewed from Earth. | 0100 |
| 4 | Venus is 2° north of the Moon. | 1800 |
| 5 | The Moon is at perigee. | 0500 |
| 6 | Neptune is 4° north of the Moon. | 0300 |
| 7 | Uranus is 2° north of the Moon. | 1600 |
| 8 | FIRST QUARTER | 1000 |
| 9 | The asteroid Juno is at opposition. | 0800 |
| 9 | Venus is at its greatest brilliancy. | 1300 |
| 10 | Mars appears to be motionless in the sky as it goes from retrograde motion to direct motion. | 2300 |
| 12 | Mars is 1° 3' south of the Moon. Occultation of Mars by the Moon. | 0500 |
| 12 | Mercury is at its greatest elongation, at 21° west of the Sun. | 1300 |
| 15 | FULL MOON | 1600 |
| 16 | Pluto is in conjunction with the Sun. | 0400 |
| 19 | Saturn is 4° south of the Moon. | 0900 |
| 20 | Mercury is 6° north of Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius. | 0700 |
| 21 | The Moon is at apogee. | 0300 |
| 21 | Solstice | 1900 |
| 23 | Venus appears to be motionless in the sky as it moves from its greatest elongation east of the Sun back toward a position west of the Sun as viewed from Earth. | 0500 |
| 23 | LAST QUARTER | 2000 |
| 25 | Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, is 0° 9' south of the Moon. Occultation of Spica by the Moon. | 1400 |
| 27 | Jupiter is 4° north of the Moon. | 0400 |
| 28 | Ceres, the largest asteroid, is in conjunction with the Sun. | 1200 |
| 29 | Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, is 0° 2' south of the Moon. Occultation of Antares by the Moon. | 0200 |
| 30 | Mercury is 5° north of the Moon. | 0000 |
| 31 | NEW MOON | 0300 |
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