As the year 2019 winds down, there's plenty to see in the night sky. Planets congregate in the evening, with Jupiter and Saturn on the way out for the year as Venus grows brighter and higher as the month progresses. The crescent Moon adds some pizzaz to this planetary congregation in the first days and last days of the month. Mercury and Mars are visible in the morning sky before sunrise. The Geminids, a reliable and impressive meteor shower, peaks at mid-month while a second meteor shower peaks a week later. And, of course, the Sun reaches its most southerly point on the ecliptic, ushering in winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the south. Here's what’s happening in the night sky this month…