Christmas Star set to make first appearance in 800 years on Monday
- by Jake Bell
- in Research
- — Dec 20, 2020
If you're a stargazer, you've likely noticed Jupiter and Saturn have been getting closer together since the summer. Actually, that might just be the seventh cup of coffee I just drank so, we'll come back to the cosmic stuff later.
Astronomers call what can be seen in the evening sky on December 21st this year a great connection.
The Great Conjunction falls into this darkness this year.
"What has become known popularly as the "Christmas Star" is an especially vibrant planetary conjunction easily visible in the evening sky over the next two weeks as the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn come together, culminating on the night of December 21", NASA said on its website.
Although it has been said that this only occurs every 800 years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States (NASA) noted that these types of events occur every 20 years.
That night, which is, coincidentally, the longest night of the year, Jupiter and Saturn will be the closest they've been to each other in 400 years or so. But this year, because of the alignment between them, the planets will appear to be especially close to each other in the sky to viewers on Earth at about a tenth of a degree. This year the Winter Solstice is on December 21.
More news: Where to Preorder Apple iPhone 12 Max and iPhone Mini"Jupiter's quicker movement and Saturn's slower movement bring them to the same direction in the sky as seen from Earth approximately every 20 years".
While the planets will look very close wherever you are on the day, the actual conjunction occurs at precisely 13:33 UTC (10:33pm Sydney time). Don't worry, city-dwellers - Jupiter and Saturn are so bright, NASA estimates you'll be able to view the conjecture from most cities.
Two planets, Jupiter and Saturn will on December 21 have a "Great Conjunction", says Prof.
"About 24o up the South-Western horizon, you can find them by looking for Jupiter which is now the brightest planet in the night sky right after sunset".
Find an unobstructed view of the sky, such as at a park.
According to this year's astronomical calculations, at 11.02 am on December 21st, CET, the sun will be at its lowest point in its annual orbit, as seen from the Northern Hemisphere.
More news: Fire kills 9 coronavirus patients in TurkeyAn hour after sunset, look to the southwestern sky. The theory that the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn might be the "Star of Wonder" was proposed in the early 17th Century by Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer and mathematician.
"From our point of view, we will be able to see Jupiter on the inner corridor, approaching Saturn throughout the month and finally past it on December 21".
"They can be seen with the naked eye so there's no need for binoculars or a telescope, though you will need to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark".
And of course, astrologically, this is a big deal as well.
"The date of the conjunction is determined by the locations of Jupiter, Saturn, and Earth in their paths around the sun, while the date of the solstice is determined by the tilt of the Earth's axis". Astrologer Chani Nichols told the New York Times: "This is the end of an era and the beginning of a new one", and doesn't that sound nice?
The orbits of the planets can be thought of as a racetrack, he says, with Earth circling the Sun more quickly on an inside lane while Jupiter and Saturn move more slowly in the outer lanes. The short version: this means change.
More news: Pakistani-American Ali Zaidi named in Biden’s climate teamIf you didn't take advantage of Friday night's clear skies, the weekend nights are expected to be cloudy but Tuesday should be mostly clear.
