Constellations in December
The following constellations can best be observed in the month of December at a geographical latitude of 47° North (Switzerland).
| IAU Name | English Name | Season | Declination | DSO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda (And) | Chained Maiden | Jun … Feb | +53.2° | +21.7° | 20 |
| Antlia (Ant) | Air Pump | Dec … Apr | -24.5° | -40.4° | 0 |
| Aquarius (Aqr) | Water Bearer | Jul … Dec | +3.3° | -24.9° | 5 |
| Aries (Ari) | Ram | Aug … Feb | +31.2° | +10.4° | 5 |
| Auriga (Aur) | Charioteer | Aug … Apr | +56.2° | +27.9° | 16 |
| Bootes (Boo) | Herdsman | Dec … Sep | +55.0° | +7.4° | 4 |
| Caelum (Cae) | Engraving Tool | Oct … Jan | -27.0° | -48.7° | 1 |
| Camelopardalis (Cam) | Giraffe | Sep … Mar | +86.1° | +52.7° | 12 |
| Cancer (Cnc) | Crab | Nov … May | +33.1° | +6.5° | 3 |
| Canis Maior (CMa) | Great Dog | Nov … Feb | -11.0° | -33.3° | 3 |
| Canis Minor (CMi) | Lesser Dog | Oct … Apr | +13.2° | -0.4° | 1 |
| Cassiopeia (Cas) | Seated Queen | Jul … Jan | +77.7° | +46.7° | 25 |
| Cepheus (Cep) | King | May … Dec | +88.7° | +53.4° | 24 |
| Cetus (Cet) | Sea Monster | Sep … Dec | +10.5° | -24.9° | 8 |
| Columba (Col) | Dove | Nov … Feb | -27.1° | -43.1° | 0 |
| Coma Berenices (Com) | Bernice's Hair | Dec … Jul | +33.3° | +13.3° | 20 |
| Cygnus (Cyg) | Swan | Mar … Dec | +61.4° | +27.7° | 36 |
| Eridanus (Eri) | River | Sep … Feb | +0.4° | -57.9° | 2 |
| Fornax (For) | Furnace | Nov … Jan | -23.8° | -39.5° | 2 |
| Gemini (Gem) | Twins | Oct … Apr | +35.4° | +9.8° | 11 |
| Lacerta (Lac) | Lizard | May … Dec | +56.9° | +35.2° | 2 |
| Leo (Leo) | Lion | Nov … May | +33.0° | -6.7° | 15 |
| Leo Minor (LMi) | Lesser Lion | Oct … Jun | +41.4° | +22.8° | 5 |
| Lepus (Lep) | Hare | Oct … Feb | -10.8° | -27.3° | 3 |
| Lynx (Lyn) | Lynx | Nov … Apr | +62.0° | +33.0° | 10 |
| Lyra (Lyr) | Lyre | Feb … Dec | +47.7° | +25.7° | 6 |
| Monoceros (Mon) | Unicorn | Oct … Mar | +11.9° | -11.4° | 12 |
| Orion (Ori) | Hunter | Sep … Mar | +22.9° | -11.0° | 19 |
| Pegasus (Peg) | Winged Horse | Jun … Dec | +36.6° | +2.3° | 16 |
| Perseus (Per) | Hero | Aug … Mar | +59.1° | +30.9° | 17 |
| Pisces (Psc) | Fishes | Jul … Jan | +33.7° | -6.3° | 4 |
| Puppis (Pup) | Stern | Nov … Feb | -11.3° | -51.1° | 7 |
| Pyxis (Pyx) | Compass | Dec … Mar | -17.4° | -37.3° | 0 |
| Sculptor (Scl) | Sculptor | Aug … Dec | -24.8° | -39.4° | 3 |
| Sextans (Sex) | Sextant | Dec … May | +6.4° | -11.7° | 0 |
| Taurus (Tau) | Bull | Aug … Mar | +31.1° | -1.3° | 7 |
| Triangulum (Tri) | Triangle | Jun … Mar | +37.3° | +25.6° | 7 |
| Ursa Maior (UMa) | Great Bear | Nov … Jul | +73.1° | +28.3° | 21 |
| Ursa Minor (UMi) | Little Bear | Jan … Dec | +90.0° | +65.4° | 0 |
| Vulpecula (Vul) | Fox | Mar … Dec | +29.5° | +19.4° | 15 |
Note: The «Season» column indicates the months in which the constellation is highest in the sky at night at a latitude of 47 ° North and can therefore best be observed. In the middle of the month, the constellation (IAU limit) will be wholly or partially above the horizon at midnight. In the case of circumpolar constellations, these are located near the zenith. So it can partly be seen outside of the season, but then either goes down early or rises very late or is only partially visible. DSO refers to the number of described deep-sky objects.