Star Almanack
Alexander Ferrari Miller

ISO 2026-W52

Week begins: Monday, December 21, 2026

Notation:

Calendar

DateZodiac dayEvents
Mon, Dec 21, 2026♑ 1
♑ Sun enters Capricorn · Winter solstice · Yule — 20:50:14 UTC
Tue, Dec 22, 2026♑ 2
β Hor — Binoculars 5 — Southern Winter
Menkar (α Cet) — Naked eye 3 — Tropical Winter
Wed, Dec 23, 2026♑ 3
Thu, Dec 24, 2026♑ 4
🌕 Full Moon · Moon After Yule — 01:28:14 UTC
Algol (β Per) / Algol (β Persei) — Naked eye Var 2 — Northern Winter
Finest NGC 21 / NGC 1232 · Arp 41 — Telescope 11 — Tropical Winter
Finest NGC 10 / IC 289 · PN G138.8+02.8 — Telescope 12 — Northern Winter
Fri, Dec 25, 2026♑ 5
Dalim (α For) — Binoculars 4 — Southern Winter
C87 / NGC 1261 — Telescope 8 — Southern Winter
Sat, Dec 26, 2026♑ 6
C24 / NGC 1275 · Perseus A — Telescope 12 — Northern Winter
Sun, Dec 27, 2026♑ 7
Mirfak (α Per) — Naked eye 2 — Northern Winter — in the Milky Way

Weekly Solar-System Ephemeris

Snapshot: Week begins December 21, 2026, 00:00 UTC.

(-90° to +90°; defaults +45°, 21:00 LAT)

Notation:
Body☉︎☽︎☿︎♀︎♂︎♃︎♄︎
Ecliptic♐︎ 29°07′
β +0°00′		♉︎ 16°16′
β +5°05′		♐︎ 22°32′
β −0°47′		♏︎ 13°01′
β +3°08′		♍︎ 7°59′
β +2°54′		♌︎ 26°55′
β +0°53′		♈︎ 8°01′
β −2°30′
ObservingNightNaked eye -11.7☉︎Naked eye -4.7Naked eye 0.1Naked eye -2.3Naked eye 0.7
Rise07:3713:1707:1303:3921:5721:0312:31
Set16:2304:2915:4914:0211:3711:0100:44

Extended targets:

Body⚳︎♅︎♆︎♇︎
Ecliptic♋︎ 21°07′
β +6°21′		♊︎ 2°40′
β −0°09′		♈︎ 1°38′
β −1°23′		♒︎ 4°02′
β −4°15′
ObservingBinoculars 7.2Binoculars 5.6Telescope 7.7TelescopeTelescope 14.6
Rise17:2614:3512:1210:13
Set09:5305:3800:1218:55

β = ecliptic latitude (+ north, − south).
Rise and set are Local Apparent Time for the selected latitude.
Naked-eye observing uses the Sun’s altitude at the selected Monday observer time: Daylight (Sun ≥ −0.833°), Civil twilight (−0.833° to −6°), Nautical twilight (−6° to −12°), Astronomical twilight (−12° to −18°), and Night (below −18°).
Solar Glare identifies a body too close to the Sun when the sky-state rule does not already supersede its naked-eye classification.
The Sun’s observing status uses this same five-state sky classification.

Notation:

Planet Finder

Planet Finder — Greek / Symbols
Greek / Symbols
Planet Finder — English
English
Planet Finder — Mixed Learner
Mixed Learner

Sky Notes

Kilroy: Sky Notes · generated 2026-10-22 04:12:15 UTC

View:

ISO 2026-W52 runs from December 21 through December 27. To find Jupiter, first identify Leo, trace the Sickle, and locate Regulus in that pattern. Jupiter lies about 2.9° away in ecliptic longitude at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot; use the finder to transfer from Regulus to the planet.

Naked eye: 🌕 Full Moon · Moon After Yule — 01:28:14 UTC. Bright moonlight favors prominent stars and planets while reducing contrast on faint deep-sky objects. Use Menkar, Algol, Mirfak as the week’s fixed-sky framework.

Menkar: The Prominent Star at Cetus' Head — A detailed overview of Menkar, its celestial significance, and its place in the night sky.

Algol: The Iconic Eclipsing Binary of Perseus — A steadfast beacon in the constellation Perseus, Algol has captured astronomers' attention for centuries with its unique variability.

Mirfak: The Bright Heart of Perseus — A detailed look at the prominent star that anchors the constellation Perseus.

Planets: Moon: Naked eye; magnitude -11.7; direct motion; 86.6% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Opposition in ecliptic longitude Dec 24 01:28 UTC. Conjunction with Ceres in ecliptic longitude Dec 25 05:47 UTC. Conjunction with Jupiter in ecliptic longitude Dec 27 16:38 UTC. Conjunction with Uranus in ecliptic longitude Dec 22 02:41 UTC. Mercury: In solar glare; magnitude -0.8; direct motion; 98.5% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Venus: Naked eye; magnitude -4.7; direct motion; 42.3% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Mars: Naked eye; magnitude 0.1; direct motion; 91.4% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Ceres: Binoculars; magnitude 7.2; retrograde motion; 99.5% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Dec 25 05:47 UTC. Jupiter: Naked eye; magnitude -2.3; retrograde motion; 99.4% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Dec 27 16:38 UTC. Saturn: Naked eye; magnitude 0.7; direct motion; 99.7% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Uranus: Binoculars; magnitude 5.6; retrograde motion; 100.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Dec 22 02:41 UTC. Neptune: Telescope; magnitude 7.7; direct motion; 100.0% illuminated. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Pluto: Substantial telescope; magnitude 14.6; direct motion; 100.0% illuminated. Below the horizon at 21:00 local apparent solar time, 45°N. Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot.

Binoculars: Trace Horologium’s charted figure in the finder, then identify β Hor at its charted position. Trace Fornax’s charted figure in the finder, then identify Fornacis at its charted position.

Beta Hor: The Bright Star of the Hor Constellation — An overview of Beta Hor, a prominent star in the southern sky, its characteristics, and significance.

Dalim in Fornax: A Bright Anchor in the Night Sky — Exploring the characteristics and significance of the star known as Dalim, situated in the constellation Fornax.

Small telescope: Arp 41: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; PN G138.8+02.8: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; NGC 1261: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance; Perseus A: consult its dedicated finder and observing story for equipment guidance

Unveiling Arp 41: A Hidden Galaxy in Eridanus — A detailed look into Arp 41, a compelling galaxy offering insights into the universe's vast complexity.

The Enigmatic Planetary Nebula in Cassiopeia: PN G138.8+02.8 — A celestial remnant offering insights into stellar evolution and cosmic artistry.

A Glimpse into the Mysterious Globular Cluster in Horologium — An overview of a captivating and ancient stellar ensemble in the constellation Horologium, illuminating our understanding of celestial structures.

Perseus A: A Celestial Beacon in the Constellation Perseus — An overview of the Seyfert galaxy Perseus A, its characteristics, and its significance in astronomical studies.

Substantial telescope: No fixed-sky Calendar object is classified as requiring a substantial telescope this week.

Other objects listed this week: None

Mercury

Mercury: in solar glare at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. Rises 07:13; sets 15:49 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -0.8. The disk is 98.5% illuminated (gibbous). It is 6.6° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 1.559° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Sabik, 9.0° away. Mercury: 9.0° from Sabik in the Pathfinder.

Venus

Venus: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 57.6° below the horizon. Rises 03:39; sets 14:02 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -4.7. The disk is 42.3% illuminated (crescent). It is 46.2° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.898° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Zubenelgenubi, 3.7° away. Venus: 3.7° from Zubenelgenubi in the Pathfinder.

Moon

Moon: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 66.4° above the horizon. Rises 13:17; sets 04:29 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -11.7. The disk is 86.6% illuminated (waxing gibbous). It is 136.9° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 14.474° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Hamal, 9.5° away. Opposition in ecliptic longitude Dec 24 01:28 UTC. Conjunction with Ceres in ecliptic longitude Dec 25 05:47 UTC. Conjunction with Jupiter in ecliptic longitude Dec 27 16:38 UTC. Conjunction with Uranus in ecliptic longitude Dec 22 02:41 UTC. Moon: 9.5° from Hamal in the Pathfinder.

Mars

Mars: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 9.9° below the horizon. Rises 21:57; sets 11:37 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 0.1. The disk is 91.4% illuminated (gibbous). It is 111.1° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is direct at 0.224° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Regulus, 8.1° away. Mars: 8.1° from Regulus in the Pathfinder.

Jupiter

Jupiter: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 1.0° below the horizon. Rises 21:03; sets 11:01 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude -2.3. The disk is 99.4% illuminated (nearly full). It is 122.2° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is retrograde at 0.026° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Regulus, 3.3° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Dec 27 16:38 UTC. Jupiter: 3.3° from Regulus in the Pathfinder.

Saturn

Saturn: naked eye at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 35.7° above the horizon. Rises 12:31; sets 00:44 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 0.7. The disk is 99.7% illuminated (nearly full). It is 98.9° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.018° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Diphda, 18.9° away. Saturn: 18.9° from Diphda in the Pathfinder.

Uranus

Uranus: binoculars at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 61.9° above the horizon. Rises 14:35; sets 05:38 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 5.6. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 153.6° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is retrograde at 0.036° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Aldebaran, 9.2° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Dec 22 02:41 UTC. Uranus: 9.2° from Aldebaran in the Pathfinder.

Neptune

Neptune: telescope at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 31.1° above the horizon. Rises 12:12; sets 00:12 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 7.7. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 92.5° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.005° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Fumalsamakah, 16.4° away. Neptune: 16.4° from Fumalsamakah in the Pathfinder.

Ceres

Ceres: binoculars at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 33.2° above the horizon. Rises 17:26; sets 09:53 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 7.2. The disk is 99.5% illuminated (nearly full). It is 157.2° from the Sun, on its west side. Motion is retrograde at 0.188° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Pollux, 2.5° away. Conjunction with Moon in ecliptic longitude Dec 25 05:47 UTC. Ceres: 2.5° from Pollux in the Pathfinder.

Pluto

Pluto: substantial telescope at the Monday 00:00 UTC snapshot. At 45°N and 21:00 local apparent solar time, it is 20.8° below the horizon. Rises 10:13; sets 18:55 (45°N, local apparent solar time). Visual magnitude 14.6. The disk is 100.0% illuminated (nearly full). It is 35.1° from the Sun, on its east side. Motion is direct at 0.027° per day in ecliptic longitude at the snapshot. Position reference: Dabih, 8.8° away. Pluto: 8.8° from Dabih in the Pathfinder.