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Jupiter (brightest), Saturn (left) and the Milky Way over the Saskatchewan River and the … [+]
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If the weather is nice this week, then you have won the heavenly jackpot.
That’s because not only is a meteor shower about to peak, but a “grand conjunction” of planets is now visible, the best in 800 years.
On Monday, December 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer to each other than for almost 400 years. Around 800 years ago they were so easily visible.
Although at this time, and throughout the rest of December, they will appear to be very close in the night sky after sunset.
It’s called a “grand conjunction” because Jupiter and Saturn are the two largest planets in the Solar System and will appear to the naked eye as one bright star.
However, on the night of December 21 and until the early hours of December 22, the 2020 Ursids meteor shower will also hit. Although it is not a particularly strong meteor shower, you can expect to see some “shooting stars” if You go out stargazing this week.
All on the exact date of the December solstice, which marks the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere and the first day of summer in the southern hemisphere.
How about that for a brilliant way to end the stargazing season? This is what you need to know.
The trio of (L to R) Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter conjunct at dawn twilight, taken from home … [+]
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How, when and where you can see the ‘great conjunction’ 2020
It is called the “Christmas Star”, but the “great conjunction” is about planets, not stars. At just 0.1º apart, one-fifth the diameter of the full Moon, this is the closest between Jupiter and Saturn since a grand conjunction in 1623 and the best since 1226. The two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn will look like two bright stars almost touching, as seen with the naked eye.
Everything will happen just after sunset in the southwestern sky on December 21, 2020 and will take place very close to the horizon. There can be no wasted time because the two planets will sink below the horizon about two hours after sunset.
How to see the “Great Conjunction”.
Jamie carter
Find out the exact sunset time where you are and be somewhere with a good low view to the southwest horizon about 45 minutes after sunset. You will see Jupiter emerge at twilight followed by Saturn in the upper right.
In binoculars or a wide-field telescope, the two planets will still appear close to each other. If you have a high-magnification telescope, it should reveal the spectacular view of Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s cloud belts, and four of Jupiter’s moons (Ganymede, Europa, Callisto, and Io), all in the same field of view.
It will certainly be a historical spectacle. It is a vision that most human beings can never hope to have in their lifetime.
A trio of meteors over the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona, with Orion and winter … [+]
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How, when and where to see the 2020 Ursid meteor shower
Although you may see “shooting stars” from the Ursid meteor shower anytime between December 17-26, 2020, the event peaks on the night of December 21-22, 2020. The Moon will be near the first trimester, so it will settle roughly. midnight, which is the best time to leave looking up.
Expect to see five to 10 “shooting stars” per hour if you have a clear, dark sky away from light pollution. “We call them shooting stars when we’re cute with kids, but they’re really just specks of dust that are burning up in the atmosphere,” said Dr. Jackie Faherty, scientist and senior education manager jointly in the Department of Astrophysics and the Department of Education of the American Museum of Natural History. “It takes a nice, clear sky without light pollution, and without a ‘giant bulb’ moon in the sky, to see weaker meteors.”
The name “Ursids” comes from the radiant point of this meteor shower in the constellation Ursa Minor, the … [+]
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The Ursid meteor shower is the result of dust left in the Solar System from Comet 8P / Tuttle, which enters the inner Solar System every 13 years and is due to return in August 2021.
The name “Ursidas” comes from the radiant point of this meteor shower in the constellation Ursa Minor, the bear, but its “shooting stars” can appear anywhere in the night sky. Generally facing north is a good idea, although the stripes will appear longer to the east and west and radiate from Ursa Minor.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
