Share
Pop Sugar
As 2020 comes to a close, the solar system has decided to grace us with a cosmic Christmas miracle that hasn’t been witnessed in nearly 800 years. On Dec. 21 (aka the December solstice), Jupiter and Saturn will align so closely in the night sky that they’ll almost appear to collide from our vantage point here on Earth, creating a radiant point of light often referred to as the “Star of Bethlehem” or the “Christmas Star.”
“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 be to one another,” said Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University, according to Forbes. “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.”
The event, sometimes referred to as The Great Conjunction, occurs roughly every 19 to 20 years, but this is the closest the planets will line up in the night sky since the Middle Ages. Technically, Saturn will be 10 au (astronomical units) from Earth, and Jupiter will be 5 au away, but they will appear to be less than the diameter of a full moon apart.
By Chanel Vargas | 2 Dec 2020
RELATED TOPICS:
Trump Has Options to Punish Musk Even if His Federal Contracts Continue
1 day ago
Ukrainian Attack Damaged 10% of Russia’s Strategic Bombers, Germany Says
1 day ago
Why Reforming California’s Bedrock Environmental Law Is Good for the Environment
1 day ago
Sinner Bids for His First French Open Title Against Defending Champion Alcaraz
1 day ago
Coco Gauff Defeats Top-Ranked Aryna Sabalenka in 3 Sets to Win Her First French Open Title
1 day ago
Texas Beats Texas Tech in 3rd Game of WCWS to Win Its 1st National Championship
1 day ago
Conforto Comes Through, Dodgers Rally in 8th for Victory Abetted by Mets Mishap
1 day ago
Giants Beat the Slumping Braves in 10 Innings on a Wild Pitch
1 day ago
California’s Stubborn Problems Keep Thwarting Its Ballooning Budget
15 hours ago
Categories

California’s Stubborn Problems Keep Thwarting Its Ballooning Budget

Trump Says Musk Relationship Over, Warns of ‘Serious Consequences’ if He Funds Democrats

Trump Has Options to Punish Musk Even if His Federal Contracts Continue

Ukrainian Attack Damaged 10% of Russia’s Strategic Bombers, Germany Says

Why Reforming California’s Bedrock Environmental Law Is Good for the Environment
