Once in a Lifetime Jupiter and Saturn Conjunction Visible in the Sky

© REUTERS / JON NAZCAJupiter (below) and Saturn (above) are pictured on the sky during the closest visible conjunction of them in 400 years, in La Linea de la Concepcion, southern Spain December 21, 2020
Jupiter (below) and Saturn (above) are pictured on the sky during the closest visible conjunction of them in 400 years, in La Linea de la Concepcion, southern Spain December 21, 2020 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The last time the two biggest planets in the Solar System passed each other this closely was approximately 400 years ago, and the last time it happened during nighttime on Earth was about 8,000 years ago, which ultimately makes the event an extremely rare occurrence.

The incredibly rare phenomenon of Jupiter and Saturn meeting in the night sky, forming what is called a "Christmas Star", can be seen across the globe by skywatchers on the evening of 21 December.

From the view of those observing on Earth, the planets will appear very close in the sky, although they will remain at a very far distance in space. The conjunction is happening on the same day as this year's winter solstice, but according to scientists, the timing is a coincidence, based on the orbits of the planets and the tilt of the Earth.

This spectacular conjunction will be visible all across the world, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. 

Follow Sputnik's live feed to find out more!

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала