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The two largest planets in the solar system have so rarely come close. When the star of Bethlehem appeared 2000 years ago, there was also such a conjunction.
People from all over the world followed the grand conjunction of the two largest planets in our solar system on Monday night.
Jupiter and Saturn got closer on Monday than rarely. People around the world looked up to see the meeting of the two largest planets in our solar system, which astronomers call a grand conjunction. In fact, Jupiter and Saturn were separated by more than 730 million kilometers. But seen from the ground, it seemed as if they had come very close.
The best conditions to observe the planetary encounter were in the equator. In Western Europe, sky watchers had to look southwest to observe the phenomenon. The best time to observe the “conjunction” was 7:22 pm.
Fans of the planet are drawn to the desert
In the Indian metropolis of Calcutta, hundreds of amateur astronomers followed the show through a telescope in a technology museum and from rooftops or open spaces. In Kuwait, fans of the planet moved into the desert to get a particularly good view of the sky phenomenon.
The great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn takes place approximately every 20 years; how close they appear to Earth is different.
As close as this Tuesday, the day of the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the southern hemisphere, they will only see each other again in 2080. Previously, in 1623, Jupiter and Saturn appeared so close together from the perspective of the Land. There was also such a conjunction some 2000 years ago, almost at the time when, according to the Bible, the sages moved to Bethlehem and were guided by a bright star.
Also read Ben Moore’s column: Soon you will see the star of Bethlehem
The best conditions to observe the planetary encounter were in the equator.
Photo: Bill Ingalls / Nasa (Reuters)
In fact, the two planets were separated by more than 730 million kilometers: Jupiter (left) and Saturn. (December 21, 2020)
Photo: Yasser Al-Zayyat (AFP)
