The two largest planets in the Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn, have fascinated astronomers for hundreds of years. But both gas giants will do something next month, not seen since the Middle Ages – it will look like a double planet.
The rare event will occur after sunset on December 21, 2020, after the onset of the winter solstice.
“Arrangements between these two planets are extremely rare, occurring once every 20 years or more, but this connection is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets are to each other,” Rice University astronomer Patrick Hartig said in a statement. Patrick Hartig, an astronomer at Rice University, said in a statement. “You have to go back at 4 o’clock at night, before the early morning on 1226, to see the close alignment between these bjets appearing in the night sky.”
A view of how the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction will appear in a telescope shown toward the western horizon on December 21, 2020 at 6 p.m. This image has been adapted from graphics by the open-source planetarium software Stellarium. (This work, “jupsat1”, is adapted from Stellarium by Patrick Hartigan, used under GPL-2.0, and courtesy of Patrick Hartigan, provided under CC BY 4.0)
Jupiter, Saturn Spotted Over Legal Bronze Ang Structure
Hartig added that between December 16 and December 25, the two planets will be separated in less than a full moon.
“On the evening of the approaching approach on December 21, they will look like a double planet, separated by only one-fifth of the full moon,” Hartig explained. “For most telescope viewers, each planet and most of its largest moon will appear that evening in the same field of view.”
The celestial phenomenon can be seen anywhere on Earth, but Hartigan noted that anyone in the far north direction, “they have less time to see a glimpse.”
Ocean ‘could be dignified’ on Jupiter’s moon, researchers say
Stargazers should try to watch the event next month or wait a long time for the next event. Hartig explained that by March 15, 2080, the two planets would not be so close to each other again, and 2400 years later.
Click here to get the Fox News app
