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Since the beginning of the summer of 2020, the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn have begun their gradual convergence process, and on December 21, these planets will practically merge into a single star in the sky, forming a bright light that many call the “Star of Bethlehem”.
This is reported by the Daily Mail.
The phenomenon, which has been called the “Star of Bethlehem”, has not been observed since the Middle Ages. The German astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote in 1614 that the “Star of Bethlehem” in the biblical story of the three wise men may have been a rare triple confluence of Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus.
On December 21, Jupiter and Saturn in conjunction will be visible about an hour after sunset. Telescopes may be needed to see in detail the convergence of the planets, which effectively moves the planets 500 million miles apart, but the light must be visible to the naked eye.
The next time Jupiter and Saturn appear so close in the sky, it will only be on March 15, 2080, when they are highest in the sky.
Convergence will appear closer and closer to the horizon as it gets dark, until it disappears completely from view around 6:20 p.m.
Its visual “fusion” will take place on the longest night, and in clear weather it will be seen on the horizon in the southwestern part of the sky.
In Great Britain, the convergence of the two celestial giants can be observed on Monday starting at 16:30 GMT (18:30 Kiev time), and the merging of the planets will take place at 20:37 Kiev time.
As reported by “Apostrophe”, planets of the solar system Jupiter and Saturn will get closer together for the first time in 800 years. The peak of the confluence will be on December 21, 2020 and can be seen in the night sky.
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