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the December 21 date with Winter Solstice, and not only. The longest night of the year will arrive in the company of a rare and unmissable celestial show: one great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn, which has not been seen since the time of Galileo (here we talk about this incredible astronomical event).
Winter Solstice, date and time in 2020
In 2020, reports the Italian Union of Amateur Astronomers (Uai), the winter solstice falls on December 21 all 10 and 02 minutes: in our hemisphere, the moment when the Sun will reach the point of minimum height with respect to the equator, marking the beginning of the cold season.
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year for all places in the northern hemisphere and the longest for those in the southern hemisphere. December 21 Rome, will be recorded 9 hours and 7 minutes of light, a Milan 8 hours and 46 minutes.
Winter solstice, what happens and the meaning
The December solstice marks the transition from autumn to winter and coincides with the day when the sun reaches, in its apparent movement along the ecliptic, the point of maximum or minimum declination.
It is the climax of the Polar Night near the Arctic, but it is also the limit beyond which The days get longer again That is why in history it has always represented the victory of light over darkness, a magical moment, like the Summer Solstice, celebrated throughout the world by festivals, rites and monuments.
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Winter solstice, as it is celebrated in the world: from ancient Rome to Stonehenge
In ancient Rome i Saturnali They were celebrated every year, from December 17 to 23, in honor of Saturn, the god of the golden age, when men lived happily, in abundance and equality. There was a custom of exchanging greetings and gifts.
Then Emperor Aurelian instituted the cult of Invincible sun of the invincible sun, on December 25: a celebration that is intertwined with the Christmas of Christianity.
In Germanic and Celtic tradition the winter solstice coincided with the feast of Christmas: fires were lit, the celebration. The mistletoe as a symbol of Christmas also seems to derive from Yule. But also in India, China and Japan, as in Iran, in December there are still celebrations linked to the winter solstice.
And then this Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, where thousands of people gather each year on the day of the solstice.
Discover in the gallery all the parties of the longest night in the world.
Winter Solstice 2020 and the great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn
This year, on December 21, immediately after the first winter sunset, Jupiter and Saturn will appear so close to us that we observe them from Earth, as to appear as a single, very bright planet. And the Great conjunction, advertised for its focus for months. Astral or planetary kiss is the poetic definition and it is a phenomenon that occurs approximately every 20 years.
But these encounters in heaven are not all the same. A conjunction as close as that predicted for December 21, 2020 has not been repeated since 1623. Before that she had seen herself in 1226. The next? March 15, 2080.
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How to see the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
The extraordinary proximity of Jupiter and Saturn (astronomers speak of one tenth of a degree, 1/5 the diameter of the Full Moon) will be an illusion, an effect of perspective.
The two planets are still one 733 million kilometers away. But from Earth, already in mid-December according to experts, the gradual approach of the two giants can be followed in December.
Jupiter and Saturn will continue to approach until December 21, reaching the minimum distance between them in darkness of the solstice. In order not to miss the show, it will be necessary to choose an observation point, free of obstacles, and turn your gaze. to the southwest: Jupiter and Saturn will appear low on the horizon, the show will be organized between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m..
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If time permits, the conjunction will be visible to the naked eye, in this case the two planets will appear superimposed, whoever observes the sky with a telescope or binoculars will seem to dance side by side, different.
Do you want to know more about the great conjunction? Scroll through the photos in the gallery.
