All eyes will be on Jupiter in December 2025, as it's arguably the best, easiest planet to see in the night sky throughout the month.
In December 2025, Jupiter is a bright planet, easily seen with the naked eye, rising to a peak altitude approaching 60° when due south.
Here, we'll look at a few ways to enjoy Jupiter this month,and reveal what other planets are visible.
- Find out what the planets are doing in 2026 with our complete guide to visible planets, month-by-month
In December, Jupiter is located in Gemini, not far from the twin stars Castor and Pollux.
The planet will reaching a good height when due south, enabling it to shine well above Earth’s turbulent atmosphere. This means you'll get steadier views.
Have a look at Jupiter's belts and zones through your telescope.
You'll also be able to see its Great Red Spot, which is an enormous storm bigger than Earth.
Getting a view of the Great Red Spot is down to luck with timing and weather, but you can use free software like WinJUPOS to find out its position for any selected date.
Through a telescope, you can also see Jupiter's four brightest moons, its Galilean moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
Jupiter's getting better and better throughout December and into January 2026, when it reaches opposition on 10 January.
Here's a look at what the other planets are doing this month.
Mercury
- Best time to see: 7 December, 1 hour before sunrise
- Altitude: 8.2° (low)
- Location: Libra
- Direction: Southeast
Morning planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation on 7 December, rising two hours ahead of the Sun – Mercury rising at 06:09 UT and sunrise occuring at 08:10 UT.
On 1 December, Mercury shines at mag. +0.1, brightening to mag. –0.4 by 7 December. The planet remains visible for early risers until around 23 December.
Venus
Like Mercury, Venus is currently a morning planet. However, it’s now positioned so close to the Sun in the sky that it’s difficult to observe. On a distant part of its orbit, it reaches superior conjunction on 6 January 2026.
Mars
Mars is too close to the Sun to be seen properly this month.
Jupiter
- Best time to see: 31 December, 01:05 UT
- Altitude: 59°
- Location: Gemini
- Direction: South
- Features: Complex atmosphere, moons
- Recommended equipment: 100mm or larger
Saturn
- Best time to see: 1 December, 19:15 UT
- Altitude: 33°
- Location: Aquarius
- Direction: South
Saturn is well-placed for observation from the UK at the start of December, but its tenure weakens at the end of the month. On 1 December, it reaches a peak altitude of 33° under true darkness, but by the end of the month this occurs under deep twilight.
Saturn is currently in Aquarius, really close to the border with Pisces, where it sits just south of the faint but distinctive Circlet asterism in Pisces.
On 1 December, Saturn shines at mag. +0.6, dimming only slightly to +0.7 towards the end of the month. During the first part of December, a telescope view of the planet will barely show the rings at all. From 11 November until 8 December, Saturn’s southern pole is tilted towards Earth by just 0.4°, the rings being virtually edge-on to us. Through smaller apertures, it may appear that the planet has no rings at all during this time. On 26 December, Saturn is joined by a 39%-lit waxing crescent Moon, 3.7° to the west northwest at 22:00 UT.
Uranus
- Best time to see: 1 December, 23:20 UT
- Altitude: 57°
- Location: Taurus
- Direction: South
Uranus is very well-placed, south of the Pleiades open cluster in Taurus. Shining at mag. +5.6, it’s a good time to test the adage that it’s possible to see Uranus with the naked eye – although you will need a dark sky to achieve this. The planet’s currently visible under true darkness when due south, around 57° up, all month long.
Neptune
- Best time to see: 1 December, 19:30 UT
- Altitude: 36°
- Location: Pisces
- Direction: South
Neptune is located in Pisces, less than 4° from Saturn. Consequently, the best time to view Saturn is also true for Neptune. On 1 December, Neptune achieves an altitude of 36°, due south at 19:30 UT. Shining at magnitude +7.9, you’ll need at least binoculars to see the planet.
If you're observing or imaging the planets in December 2025, share your observations and images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com.
