You don t need a telescope to see any of this.
Jupiter and Saturn, which shine as bright as stars in the night sky, will appear so close to each other that they seem to touch. An alignment, or conjunction, between these two planets happens every 20 years, but the last time they looked this close from Earth s vantage point was on March 4, 1226. Saturn and Jupiter are seen after sunset from Shenandoah National Park on December 13 in Luray, Virginia. NASA/Bill Ingalls
At the same time, the Ursids meteor shower will be peaking, sending five to 10 shooting stars across the night sky per hour. That s because Earth will be passing through the thickest part of a trail of debris left behind by comet 8P/Tuttle. As those bits of ice and dust burn up in the atmosphere, they can leave bright flares in the sky.
Watch for the Christmas Star tonight as Jupiter and Saturn come closer than they have in centuries
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Watch the winter solstice Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn with these webcasts Space 12/21/2020 Samantha Mathewson © Provided by Space Saturn, top, and Jupiter as seen on Dec. 13, 2020, a week before their closest approach, when the two planets may appear as a single point of light.
Jupiter and Saturn will align in the night sky today (Dec. 21) in an event astronomers call the great conjunction, and you can watch it online with webcasts from The Virtual Telescope Project, Slooh and more.
Tonight s great conjunction also nicknamed the Christmas Star marks the closest apparent encounter of Jupiter and Saturn in nearly 400 years. The two planets will be closest to each other in the sky tonight, which is also winter solstice, and may be viewed as one point of light, appearing only a tenth of a degree apart. They will remain in close alignment for a few days and will be easily visible to the naked eye when looking toward the southwest just a
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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 hence the nickname of the ‘Christmas Star.’ | NASA
(CNN) 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 hence the nickname of the “Christmas Star.”
While it’s not an actual star, the two planets will certainly make a bright splash in the night sky.
On the night of December 21, the winter solstice, Jupiter and Saturn will appear so closely aligned in our sky that they will look like a double planet. This close approach is called a conjunction. The fact that this event is happening during the winter solstice is pure coincidence, according to NASA.
KLKN-TV
The stars are aligning on the Winter Solstice, or more accurately, two planets
December 21, 2020 6:00 am
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN)- The stars are aligning on the Winter Solstice, or more accurately, two of the solar system’s largest planets will.
On the night of Monday, Dec. 21, Jupiter and Saturn will look closer to one another than they have since 1623.
It’s called a conjunction, and this one is exceptionally rare due to the planets’ close proximity to each other.
The result will look like a double planet, and given it’s the holidays, some people are calling it the Christmas Star. Christians believe a star guided the Wise Men to the newborn Jesus, resulting in a “Christmas Star”.
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