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Bright object in south on December evening? it’s the planet Jupiter
In the west shortly after sunset around now, you will find a famous asterism – a noticeable pattern of stars, not a constellation – known as the Summer Triangle.
The Triangle consists of three bright stars in three different constellations. They are Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in the constellation Aquila the Eagle. It has called the “summer” triangle, because, for us in the northern hemisphere, summer is the season in which these stars soar overhead.
Still, if you look for this pattern this month you will find that, around the time of the winter solstice, the Summer Triangle is descending in the west in early evening. It is getting closer each evening to disappearing into the sunset glare.
What is the bright object up before dawn in December?
Written by Deborah Byrd
Astronomy Picture of the Day from NASA/JPL
U.S. Naval Observator Astronomical Information center
The York County Astronomical Society
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