December gives you a great chance to see several planets in the night sky. Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Venus, and Mars will all be visible during part of the month. 

Venus is still the brightest planet in the sky but is slowly starting to fade (in our perspective, not in reality), and Saturn is becoming less and less visible each day, sinking below the horizon around sunset. To see Venus look east before dawn; it will be the planet that appears highest in the sky from your vantage point. Your best chance to see Saturn is around dusk, and it will stay very low on the southwest horizon at this point. This will be the hardest one to see.

Jupiter is the second-brightest planet in the sky right now (behind Venus). Jupiter and Mercury are in close proximity now and can be seen in the night sky without aids. On the morning of December 21, look east just before dawn. Mercury and Jupiter will be at their closest to each other on that date, but will be near each other through the rest of the month.

Last but not least, right now Mars is near the moon if you look south around dusk. Happy planet hunting! Remember to let us know on social media if you see a planet or send us a picture if you take one.