Holiday time, December 2020 will be a particularly bright dark night, as the two planets have come out together for the first time in hundreds of years.
NBC News notes that the global event, known as the Great Connection of 2020, will highlight the darkest day of the year when Jupiter and Saturn will be seen together in the winter solstice.
Astronomers have dubbed the event the “Christmas Star,” a term derived from the Christian Bible Star of Bethlehem. Some believe that the star Bethlehem may have had a planetary connection between Venus and Jupiter some 2,000,000 years ago.
When Jupiter-Saturn combinations occur every two decades, the last one happened near the Sun, making it difficult to see. This The next 2020 alliance 1623 will be the closest to Earth since then and will be the closest observable since 1226.
This connection will not be visible again until March 15, 2080.
Jupiter is brighter than any star in our solar system, and Saturn is as bright as the brightest stars.
Their orbits are clearly different; Jupiter takes about 12 years to orbit the Sun, and Saturn takes another 30 years. Connection occurs when these two planets overlap.
It can be difficult for some places to find the best place to watch the planetary phenomenon. Astrophysicist Pat Hartig notes that finding a good spot along the horizon would be the best bet for viewers to see the combination.
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