ILLUSTRATION BY STUART FUNK
As the sun sets on the evening of Dec. 10, a string of lights will seem to follow the sun toward the southwestern horizon. Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and the moon will be evenly spaced out in an arc to the south. That’s not all: Neptune will be hiding in the glare just above the moon. However, you’ll need a telescope to spot that blue orb. Make sure you aren’t too close to the mountains; otherwise, you might have trouble glimpsing Venus while it’s close to the horizon.
Each month, Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory astronomer Eric McLaughlin spotlights a notable celestial event. For information about the observatory, visit ranchomiragelibrary.org.