🔄FROM THE ARCHIVE: On December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer in Earth’s night sky than they have since 1226 A.D. You can watch the event live here, courtesy of Lowell Observatory.
On December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will get so close in the sky that they will almost appear to merge with one another. Such a conjunction has not occurred in December for some 800 years. This December, Jupiter and Saturn will put on a show for skygazers that hasn't been seen in roughly 800 years. Astronomers are calling it the Great Conjunction of 2020.
Humanity won’t have to wait quite as long to see the solar system’s two largest planets repeat this month's performance, though. Another Great Conjunction will occur in 2080. Of course, many of us alive today won’t be around then, so it would be wise to soak in this show while you can.Though not perfect, your hand is a great tool for estimating angles in the night sky.
Conjunctions happen when two celestial objects appear to pass close to one another as seen from Earth. Of course, those objects aren’t necessarily physically close, they simply look that way because of their orbital alignment. Then, without moving the telescope, you can slightly shift your gaze to Saturn and its magnificent rings. Despite the significant size difference between the planets, Saturn’s massive rings mean the two worlds both appear to have about the same diameter when viewed through a telescope.
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