Astronomical Events Information | 2016 | December
The Moon Passing Close to Venus and Mars
The Medley of the Moon, Venus, and Mars in the Evening Sky!
In the evening sky right after sunset, Venus shines piercingly in a low location and Mars can be seen above and to the left of it. From December 3 to 5 the crescent moon, waxing towards 1st quarter, passes close to these 2 planets. On the 3rd, we can enjoy the sight of the Moon shining next to Venus, which has a brightness exceeding -4 magnitude. On the 5th, Mars and the Moon can be seen less than 3 degrees apart. Compared to Venus, Mars’s brightness is dim, but as the sky darkens you should be able to find Mars shining unassumingly next to the Moon.
Reference: Ephemeris Computation Office
You can look up the rising and setting times for the Sun and the Moon, and the phases of the Moon in the “Koyomi Station” of the NAOJ Ephemeris Computation Office.
You can find the appearance of the Moon and planets as seen from a typical city under “Sky Viewer.”