Starwatch: look out for a conjunction of the moon and Jupiter

The planet will appear as a brilliant white spot next to the illuminated eastern hemisphere of the moon

To close out the year, there is a very pleasant conjunction between the moon and Jupiter this week.

The chart shows the view looking south from London at 17.30 GMT on 29 December. The conjunction takes place in the constellation Pisces, the fish, near its border with Cetus, the whale. The moon is a waxing crescent, approaching its first quarter phase, with 46.6% of its surface illuminated. Its distance from the Earth on this night will be 374,209km (232,522 miles). Jupiter will appear as a brilliant white spot next to the illuminated eastern hemisphere of the moon. The planet will be at a distance of 744.2m km from Earth.