‘Christmas star’: Jupiter, Saturn to look like double planet
The two largest planets in our solar system are coming closer together than they have been since the Middle Ages, and it’s happening just in time for Christmas.
On the night of Dec. 21, the winter solstice, Jupiter and Saturn will appear so closely aligned in the sky that they will look like a double planet. This close approach is called a conjunction.
“Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to one another,” said Rice University astronomer and professor of physics and astronomy Patrick Hartigan in a statement. “You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky.”
According to a report in Forbes, it’s thought by some, including German astronomer Johannes Kepler, that the “star of Bethlehem” in the story of the Magi or “three wise men” could have been a rare triple conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus.
This conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn is being called by some a “Christmas star.”
If you’re a stargazer, you’ve likely noticed Jupiter and Saturn have been getting closer together since the summer. And they’re currently visible in our night sky, inching ever closer to one another.
But between Dec. 16 and 25, they will become even closer. Look for the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction low in the western sky for about an hour after sunset each evening during this time.
While these two planets may appear close, they are still hundreds of millions of miles apart, according to NASA.
Hope for clear skies because the conjunction will be visible around the world, with the best perspective for those near the equator.
The planets will be bright enough to be viewed in twilight, which may be the best time for many U.S. viewers to observe the conjunction.
The best conditions to see this astronomical event will include a clear southwestern horizon and no low clouds in the distance, Hartigan said. Binoculars or a telescope may help you distinguish the planets. A telescope would enable a view of Saturn’s rings and the brightest moons of both planets, he said.
If you miss this conjunction and want to see the planets with the same proximity, just higher in the sky, it won’t happen until March 15, 2080, and then not again until after 2400.
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