If the sky is clear enough when you live, you should consider looking up early next week to witness what I can only compare to a great cosmic romance. Although the pandemic is rampant and your town or city could be buried under a deluge of snow, heaven has promised to flee from the hard work here on Earth with absolutely jammed celestial calendar this month.
A fantastic “kiss” between Saturn and Jupiter is about to deliver something fantastic star observation on December 21st unmatched in its brilliance since the Mslow Ages. Experts also call the phenomenon a “Christmas star,” because we all clearly need a holiday miracle.
The following explains why you should mark the event on the calendar and how it can be seen unfolding in a sky location near you.
It’s really called the big conjunction
Although “kiss” is spoken of in conversational language, the phenomenon has long been called a conjunction by astronomers. It occurs when two planets cross or approach close enough to appear very close from an Earth viewpoint. Aside from happening on the winter solstice, that is pure coincidence according to NASA—This year’s conjunction has great historical implications.
G / O Media may receive a commission
According to the space agency, this will be the closest conjunction in 400 years:
Nearly 400 years have passed since the planets passed that near the sky, and almost 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter at night, as it will for 2020, allowing almost everyone around the world to witness this “great conjunction “.
As Lifehacker previously reported, the two planets will be separated by 1 degree at the peak of the kiss, which is about 1/5 the diameter of a full moon. NASA puts this visual in perspective, noting that the planets “will appear so close that a pink finger along the arm will easily cover the two planets in the sky.” Do not be fooled by their appearance in the sky, because the two planets will still be separated by hundreds of millions of miles.
It’s a gradual process that takes place throughout the days, but will culminate on December 21, perhaps validating all your fantasies of a Christmas miracle. And it could be: according to the space agency, this will be the closest convergence of Saturn and Jupiter since 1226.
How does the kiss, aka conjunction, aka ‘Christmas Star ‘ to work?
It really is a natural product of planetary orbits and occurs every 20 years. As Henry Throop, an astronomer in the Division of Planetary Sciences at NASA’s Washington headquarters, explains in a statement: “You can imagine that the solar system is a racetrack, with each of the planets running in its own lane and the Earth towards the center of the stadium “.
Throop explains that a conjunction could occur at any time of the year, but it all depends on the planetary positions:
The date of the conjunction is determined by the positions of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Earth in their paths around the Sun, while the date of the solstice is determined by the inclination of the Earth’s axis. The solstice is the longest night of the year, so this rare coincidence will give people a great opportunity to go outside and see the solar system.
As it looks
Luckily, the conjunction is so close this year that you don’t need a telescope or binoculars to see it. (However, you could still use them, as they really can’t hinder your vision).
NASA provides a useful guide to contemplating the delicious scenes:
Look for a place with an unobstructed view of the sky, such as a field or a park. Jupiter and Saturn are bright, so they can be seen even from most cities.
An hour after sunset, look out at the southwest sky. Jupiter will look like a bright star and will be easily visible. Saturn will be a little weaker and will appear slightly above and to the left of Jupiter until December 21, when Jupiter will overtake it and reverse positions in the sky.
The planets can be seen with the unaided eye, but if you have binoculars or a small telescope, you can see the four large moons of Jupiter orbiting the giant planet.
Even if it’s cold, you may want to face the frigid conditions – this will be the closest conjunction of the two planets until 2080.