Astronomy fans are about to witness an incredibly rare event happening at the end of December. Jupiter and Saturn will align at their closest point in the night sky as seen from Earth. This event, called the “Great Conjunction,” is happening for the first time in 800 years.
Since this summer, these two planets have been getting closer in the sky. But from December 16 to 25, Jupiter and Saturn will appear extremely close, just one-fifth the diameter of a full moon apart. Their closest approach will be on December 21. Although they are still hundreds of millions of kilometers apart in space, from our view on Earth, they will look like a single bright point in the night sky.
“The alignment between Jupiter and Saturn is rare, happening about every 20 years, but this conjunction is especially rare because of how close the planets appear,” explains astronomer Patrick Hartigan from Rice University. “The last time they appeared this close was on March 4, 1226.”
Astronomers say the best viewing experience will be near the equator, like in Vietnam. But if the sky is clear, this event will be visible from anywhere on Earth. The planets will appear about an hour after sunset each night.
To watch, look toward the western sky. Websites like Stellarium can help you find the best viewing spot from your location. If you use a telescope, you might even see both Jupiter and Saturn along with some of their largest moons in the same field of view that evening.
If you miss this chance, you won’t see Jupiter and Saturn this close again until March 15, 2080. After that, they won’t come this close in our night sky until the year 2400.
Source: Science Alert
