Summer
December 2026
Times are computed for Coonabarabran / Siding Spring Observatory (SSO), latitude 31.27 south, longitude 149.06 east. Timezone Australia/Sydney. Early night means sunset until four hours after sunset. That is the window most guided night tours actually use.
Moon
Full Moon 24 December.
New Moon 9 December.
Dark nights 28 November to 12 December, then 27 December to 11 January.
- 28 November to 12 December
- 27 December to 11 January
Mid Month Sky Snapshot
Sunset, twilight and the Moon on the 15th, from Siding Spring Observatory (SSO).
- Sunset
- 8:03 pm
- Civil twilight
- 8:31 pm
- Astronomical twilight
- 9:42 pm
- Moon on the 15th
- First Quarter, 32% lit
- Moonrise
- 10:59 am
- Moonset
- 12:11 am
Early night planets
Only planets that stand at least about 10 degrees above the horizon at some point between sunset and four hours after sunset. Morning-only planets are not listed.
Saturn. North after sunset, west later in the evening.
Worth looking at
Short list for the same early-night window. Objects operators actually point at, not a catalogue dump.
1. Orion Nebula
East through the early night.
Binoculars or a small telescope help.
2. Carina and Eta Carinae
South-east later in the evening.
Naked eye. Binoculars help with the nebula.
3. Tarantula and the Large Magellanic Cloud
South-east through the early night.
Naked eye. Binoculars help with the Tarantula.
4. Small Magellanic Cloud
South through the early night.
Naked eye. Binoculars help.
5. 47 Tucanae
South through the early night.
Binoculars.
This page is a sky clock. Pick your time to visit. We wish you clear skies. No guarantees with the weather.
Figures are for the 15th of the month.