Mercury was at superior conjunction on Nov. 25th. It emerges into evening twilight by mid-December, but southern hemisphere observers are favored until late in the month. Mercury passes 1.3 degrees south of Jupiter on the 30th (the date in North America) Venus brightens to magnitude -4.4 during December, and continues to dominate the evening sky, setting long after dark. It begins the month 2 degrees south of Jupiter, but pulls away rapidly, and they are 5 degrees apart by the evening of the 5th. (See also the Moon phases page). Mars hides behind the Sun, being in conjunction on Dec. 5th. Jupiter still sets in a dark sky in the west-southwest at mid-month, but by year-endit is down before twilight ends. (See Venus, Mercury, and the Moon for Jupiter's attractive groupings with twlight's other ornaments this month). Saturn, in Leo, rises in the east near midnight at mid-month. Observers at mid-northern latitudes will see it transit approximately 50 degrees up near morning astronomical twilight. By year's end the inclination of the rings has closed to 0.8 degrees.