Tenerife Stargazing in December

A Guide to the Winter Night Sky

Tenerife is one of the world’s greatest natural observatories - especially in December, when crystal-clear winter skies reveal a breath-taking tapestry of stars, constellations, galaxies and meteor showers. High above the clouds in Teide National Park, the island offers some of the darkest skies in Europe, making it the ideal destination for festive stargazing adventures with Night Skies Tenerife.

The breath-taking Geminids meteor showers, The Andromeda Galaxy, Albireo Star, The Milky Way Core, The Pleiades (Seven Sisters), Jupiter, everyone's favourite Saturn and the Signs of the Zodiac are all visible in the pristine December night skies of Tenerife.

Whether you're an experienced astronomer, a casual stargazer or just looking for things to do in Tenerife, you’ll not want to leave without experiencing a Night Skies Tenerife Teide National Park Stargazing & Sunset Tour. 

Constellations Over Tenerife in December

Orion – The Jewel of the Winter Sky

Dominating the southern sky, Orion appears bright and unmistakable with its famous three-star belt. Through a telescope, the Orion Nebula (M42) glows like a celestial cloud—one of the season’s highlights on our stargazing tours.

Taurus – Home of the Pleiades

Just above Orion, Taurus bursts with stellar treasures. Look for the red giant star Aldebaran, and the stunning Pleiades star cluster (M45)—a favourite target for astrophotographers.

Gemini – Castor & Pollux

Rising higher throughout December, Gemini brings the bright twin stars Castor and Pollux into view. This constellation sits next to the radiant point of one of the month’s key meteor showers.

Auriga – The Charioteer

Overhead, Auriga hosts the brilliant star Capella and several open clusters visible through telescopes, including M36, M37 and M38.

Canis Major – Sirius, the Brightest Star

Low in the southeast lies Sirius, the brightest star visible from Earth—shimmering intensely above Tenerife’s volcanic landscape.

Galaxies Visible in December

Although galaxies are faint to the naked eye, Tenerife’s high-altitude conditions make them accessible through telescopes:

Andromeda Galaxy (M31)

Still high enough in early evenings, the Andromeda Galaxy appears as a glowing oval—our closest galactic neighbour, 2.5 million light-years away.

Bode’s Galaxy (M81) & the Cigar Galaxy (M82)

Located in Ursa Major, these two galaxies are stunning winter telescope targets, especially on our private or astrophotography-focused tours.

Triangulum Galaxy (M33)

A delicate face-on spiral galaxy, best seen from dark-sky sites such as Teide National Park.

These objects are not just astronomical features — they are living windows into the universe’s past.

Zodiac Signs in the December Sky

November bridges Scorpio and Sagittarius in the zodiac.

• Sagittarius, representing the Archer, lingers low on the horizon — the last glimpse of the summer Milky Way.

• Capricorn, rising late evening.
  

• Aquarius, prominent throughout the night.



These zodiac constellations mark the Sun’s path (the ecliptic), guiding our view of planets and meteor showers.

Our guides bring them to life with mythology and laser pointers to trace their celestial shapes.

Source: starwalk.space/en

The Moon Phases

For the darkest skies and the most stars, the best time is a couple of days after the full moon, for three weeks.

New Moon

Saturday 27th December - The moon will be completely dark and not visible from Earth.

First Quarter

Wednesday 3rd December - The right half of the moon will be illuminated, providing good viewing conditions.

Full Moon

Thursday 11th December - The entire face of the moon will be illuminated, making it bright and prominent in the night sky.

Last Quarter

Friday 19th December- The left half of the moon will be illuminated as it transitions back to a new moon.