As the New Year presses near, Jupiter gets ready to wane into the sunset, leaving it to Venus to bear forth the year of 2009.

Venus is found high above the southwestern horizon come night time, and it is the brightest light in the firmament, a position held by Jupiter in recent months. Venus’ brilliance, a negative fourth magnitude (ultra bright) can clearly be seen even from urban areas, and will continue to do so through January.

The same southwestern portion of the firmament which cradles Venus’ rise will also see old Jupiter wane as it moves closer to the sun with each passing night. Mercury will meanwhile climb higher each night even as it only briefly appears. Given a horizon clear of buildings and trees, you will see Mercury for some 10 days beginning with December’s end.

On New Year’s Eve, Venus and the Crescent moon will come together and greet 2009 high in the southwest sky, just Mercury and Jupiter will do, though closer to the horizon. All this will end on January 1, as the celestial bodies will separate from their evanescent idyll.

Saturn will spend the New Year wandering the cosmos at late-night hours. If you turn your gaze to the east at around 11 p.m. you will catch the father of titans ascend the heavens alongside Leo and Virgo. An early bird will glimpse the massive planet high in the southern sky just as dawn breaks. Also, at the end of next month you may see Saturn (now at zero magnitude) from urban locations with little pollution in the east in mid-evening.

If you’re lucky, and patient, you may even glimpse the fleeting Quadrantid meteors before the dawn on Jan. 3. The meteor shower will peak during the morning in the Washington area. Nevertheless you can catch stray Quadrantids on any of the first five nights or mornings of the next year’s first month. Keep an eye on the clear sky. The International Meteor Organization can keep you posted on this and other meteor showers throughout next year.

Well children, hopefully the info given here will make at least some of you who read this article keep their heads and their hearts turned to the night sky as the years change the guard, to admire the Universe’s own magnificent and majestic fireworks. And maybe as you behold the infinite heavens and the depth and beauty of the void fills you with a sense of how small the human being is in comparison, maybe that very same feeling will inspire you to become something greater than yourselves. As Oscar Wilde said – We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. EB out.