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Jupiter and Saturn are the largest planets in the solar system, and the two giants starred in a conjunction on Monday that is not of great relevance from a scientific point of view but is a historical milestone. because that alignment had not been registered for four hundred years and will not be repeated until 2080.
A conjunction that in addition to being exceptional and unique will be especially interesting due to the proximity of the two planets, which will be located “only” 810 million kilometers away, an event that has mobilized numerous scientific institutions and astronomical societies around the world to make observations. and live broadcasts of the event.
Event postcards
The alignment of the Earth with Jupiter and Saturn will also coincide with the winter solstice -the shortest day and the longest night of the year-, and all the astronomers consulted have agreed to point out that it is precisely this type of event that fosters the connection between science and society and those that unleash the fascination for the Universe.
After sunset, at 1822 GMT, the two gaseous giants appeared in the same field of view of an observing instrument, giving the impression that they are touching, although in reality they are separated by hundreds of millions of kilometers.
Jupiter, the largest, takes 12 years to go around the Sun, Saturn, 29. And every two decades or so, the two planets seem to get closer when we observe the celestial sphere from Earth.
Since 1623
In a perspective effect, the two giants will appear to be stuck together, “with a distance of only six arc minutes between them, which corresponds to about a fifth of the angular diameter of the Moon,” Deleflie says.
“With a small observation instrument, even with simple binoculars, we will be able to see in the same field the equatorial belts of Jupiter and its main satellites, as well as the rings of Saturn”, explains the astronomer.
At first glance, the approach will give the sensation that there is a double planet, since “Jupiter and Saturn are two very luminous stars”, he continues.
The last Great Conjunction occurred in 2000, but to find a distance as small as the one that will occur on Monday you have to go back to 1623. And a similar phenomenon will not happen again until March 15, 2080.
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