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One extremely rare astronomical phenomenon offer tonight the two largest planets in our solar system, the Jupiter and Saturn, to Earth watchers.
The “great coupling” of Zeus with Saturn
This spectacular astronomical phenomenon, also called the “Great Coupling”, is the convergence of the two planets in the celestial sphere, and it is the first time this has occurred in the night sky in centuries. This is the closest convergence since 1623, and the apparent approximation is not expected to reach such a small angle of divergence until 2080.
In fact, of course Saturn will be at least 730 million kilometers behind Jupiterwho will abstain 890 million kilometers from Earth.
“Jupiter and Saturn will be very close at a distance of only the first 6 minutes, that is, 1/10 of the destination. It is 1/10 of the thickness of our finger when we have our hand extended. In the sky it is a destination. , the planets will be as far apart as the thickness of our nail, as soon as they stand out from each other ”, explained to APE-MPE the professor of Observational Astronomy of the Pedagogical Department of Primary Education of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Stavros Avgoloupis.
The meeting coincides with another important astronomical event, the Sun on the winter solstice, that is, the shortest day of the year, with a duration of 9 hours and 16 minutes, while “near the two planets, at an angle of 90 degrees, follow Mars. “
The German astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote in 1614 that he believed that the “star of Bethlehem” in the Nativity story could be a “meeting of Jupiter and Saturn.”
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