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This Monday (21) occurs the long-awaited superconjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. They will be so close that they will appear to shine like a single giant star. A rare cosmic kiss, not seen so close for almost 800 years. The phenomenon can be seen at dusk.
In recent months, Jupiter and Saturn have been putting on a show in the night sky, getting a little closer each day. Today, from Earth’s point of view, the two gaseous planets will finally meet in a modern version of the “Christmas Star.”
They will be within 0.1 degrees of each other and will appear to the naked eye to touch and merge. Of course, it all depends on perspective. Actually, considering the distance of the orbits, about 700 million kilometers separate Jupiter and Saturn.
“This observation of Jupiter and Saturn is the most anticipated astronomical event of the year for several reasons. The first is that they will be very close visually. From December 12, using a small telescope and a 25 mm eyepiece, it is possible to observe the two largest planets in the solar system at the same time, it’s incredible! This is possible until December 29, “says amateur astronomer Diego de Bastiani, from the Astronomia Chapecó website.
How to continue?
Since Jupiter and Saturn are very bright and reflect a lot of sunlight, this show is easy to see. Just a clear sky, no dense clouds or rain. Some tips are important:
1. Quick: from here in Brazil, we will only be able to see the conjunction for just over an hour. The closer you are to the Equator, the greater the visibility.
2. Find a high place, with as clear a view of the western horizon as possible, without large buildings, mountains, or strong artificial lights.
3. Half an hour after sunset, around 7:00 pm, look northwest, on the same road that the sun set.
4. Extend your arm in this direction, aligning your little finger with the horizon, and open your hand. The planets should be close to your thumb (25 degrees above the horizon). Jupiter is the brightest, below and to the left; With the naked eye, it will be almost impossible to separate it from the smaller Saturn above and to the right.
*I know have trouble locating them, use an astronomical observing application such as Star Walk, Star Chart, Sky Safari, or SkyView.
5. Watch Jupiter and Saturn sink together on the horizon, with a beautiful crescent moon above them. The two planets settled down around 8:30 pm. The clearer your view, the longer you can see the embrace of the planets.
6. Keep watching the two planets for the next few days to see how they move apart. Until December 29, we will still have a beautiful conjunction. Jupiter came over, gave him a kiss, and now he’s going to catch up with Saturn, moving to the right and above him. In January 2021, however, its brightness will be overshadowed by the sun.
7. The spectacle is more beautiful through lenses: binoculars, a small telescope or a professional camera with a telephoto lens. Depending on the magnification capacity of the device, even the largest moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto) and Saturn (Titan and Iapetus) can be seen, in addition to the classic rings.
They are so close that, in the same field as the telescope or the camera’s eyepiece, it is possible to see and record the two planets, without having to move it.
What is conjunction?
Conjunction is the astronomical term for when two or more celestial bodies (planets, moon, sun) appear very close in our sky, a proximity only in relation to a certain point of view (in this case, that of Earth). There is no risk of impact.
A solar eclipse, for example, is a conjunction between the Moon and the Sun. Conjunctions involving the Moon are the most common, since our satellite changes its position in the sky more rapidly, making a complete turn on Earth each month. You can even compose a straight line or triangle with two planets.
When it occurs between Jupiter and Saturn, it wins the title of great conjunction, as it is the rarest among the visible planets, involving the two largest in the Solar System. This occurs approximately every 20 Earth years, due to their large and slow orbits; Jupiter takes 11.86 years to complete one rotation about the Sun; Saturn takes 29.4 years.
The great conjunction is a time when the Earth and the two planets align on the elliptical. But the phenomenon is not always visible from here (it must occur in the night sky and in a favorable position), and the apparent separation between Jupiter and Saturn is usually greater, between 1 ° and 2 °. The most recent, on May 31, 2000, at 1.2 °, was not observable because they were both very close to the Sun.
So today’s conjunction isn’t just big, it’s super: one tenth of a degree (or 6 arc minutes) is very close. This represents a distance the size of a fifth of the apparent diameter of the Moon and is in our night sky, well positioned, visible almost everywhere in the world.
“A couple holding hands is a 1 degree conjunction, more common, every two decades. A couple giving a super hug, very close together, is 0.1 degrees. This super special event occurs approximately every 400 Es beautiful and a rarity ”, explains Julio Lobo, astronomer of the Municipal Observatory of Campinas Jean Nicolini.
The last time the planets were in such close conjunction, less than 0.1 °, was on July 16, 1623, when they reached 0.083 ° apart. But they were also placed very close to the Sun, that is, probably no one on Earth could see; The first telescopes began to be created at that time.
It is estimated that the last time the “kiss” took place with this intensity and at night, with good viewing conditions, was on March 4, 1226, in the late Middle Ages, when they shone only 0.033 ° away, the minor already registered.
The next very close Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will not take centuries, it is scheduled for March 15, 2080. After that, only in 2417 and 2477.
“Who knows, I may still be able to observe it again. Of course, it is a phenomenon that takes a long time to occur, but what makes me happy is that they are a door to bring even more people to know heaven and, there in a future, tell your friends. ” grandchildren what you saw, so that they too can observe this same event ”, celebrates de Bastiani.
On October 31, 2040 and April 7, 2060, the two planets can be seen together again, but at a “great” distance of at least 1.1 °.
Belen star?
Could it be that, precisely during the Christmas period, what we are seeing is the “Star of Bethlehem” in Christian stories? According to the Bible, the three wise men were guided to the birthplace of Jesus Christ by a very bright star, which announced the “good news” to all the peoples of the world.
The star may just be a metaphor for the Gospel of Matthew. But if there really was something different in the sky, scientists think it could be a large planetary conjunction, perhaps a triple one, between Jupiter, Saturn and Venus, a very bright comet, or even an exploding supernova.
“If you go back in time in the programs that show the sky, on the night of the 25th there is nothing. But, according to some historians, when the Magi arrived, Christ would be about 4 years old. After all, they crossed deserts on a camel Then this sign must have been on for a long time in the sky. According to Chinese records, there was a very bright comet at the time, which could explain. It could also have been something we didn’t understand, “says Lobo.
As we all try to keep our distance from each other, Jupiter and Saturn defy the pandemic. With the super conjunction happening at the end of such a challenging year, the astronomer also sees it as a heavenly gift: “I prefer to call today’s event ‘The Star of Hope’. Because that is what all of humanity needs now.”
To make the day more astronomically special, December 21 is also the date of the summer solstice here in the southern hemisphere. It is the longest day of the year, when the sun’s rays strike perpendicularly on the Tropic of Capricorn, marking the official start of summer. .
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