December Moon Meets Evening Star . ... Credit Copyright: Dan Bush ( Missouri Skies ) Explanation: If you've been outdoors near sunset, then you've probably noticed Venus low in the west as the brilliant evening star . Sometimes mistaken for a tower light near the horizon, Venus is the third brightest celestial beacon, after the Sun and Moon, in planet Earth's sky. ... By early next week, December's Moon will have moved on to meet another bright planet overhead -- Mars . ...