The Earth takes one year to complete one orbit of the Sun, but Jupiter takes 12 years, and Saturn takes 30 years. If Jupiter completely covers Saturn, it is called an occultation. This simulation is for New York, USA, but the great conjunction can be seen all over the world. Some media outlets have also referred to the phenomenon as “kissing stars” or “double planets.”. The combination will bring a favourable time for you. The two planets are drawing closer to … The two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, are coming closer together than they have been since the Middle Ages, appearing to be a "Christmas Star." (Another way to think about angular distances in the sky is to remember that the Moon's size is about half a degree.) "Viewing that would be manageable if the weather cooperates and you have an unobstructed view to the southwest.". The most recent triple conjunction was in 1980-81, when Jupiter passed Saturn on December 31, 1980—and then again on March 4 and July 24, 1981. And they're currently visible in our night sky, inching ever closer to one another. Dimmer Saturn is immediately to the Giant Planet’s upper right. ", While these two planets may appear close, they are still hundreds of millions of miles apart, according to, Hope for clear skies because the conjunction will be visible around the world, with the best perspective for those. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction this month, arriving the same day as Winter Solstice on December 21, is the biggest news in decades - and in centuries and even millennia. Find out more in Graham's Sky & Telescope article, The 400-Year Rhythm of Great Conjunctions, co-authored with timeanddate.com CEO, Steffen Thorsen. The solar system is the shape of a thin disk: the Earth, the Moon, and the planets orbit the Sun in roughly the same plane. These meetings are conjunctions. Jupiter orbits the sun every 12 years, while Saturn's orbit takes 30 years, so every few decades Jupiter laps Saturn, according to NASA. "Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to one another," said Rice University astronomer and professor of physics and astronomy Patrick Hartigan, "You'd have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky.". By this definition, the 2020 great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurred at about 18:20 UTC on December 21. Credit: Gary Hershorn / Getty Images “What is most rare is a close conjunction that occurs in our night-time sky,” said Vanderbilt University’s David Weintraub, an astronomy professor. Saturn, top, and Jupiter, below, are seen after sunset from Shenandoah National Park, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Luray, Virginia. The 2012 Venus transit was the last chance to see this phenomenon for over 100 years. Scroll down to see telescope footage! However, this event would have been difficult—although not impossible—to observe since the two planets were near the Sun. If you're a stargazer, you've likely noticed Jupiter and Saturn have been getting closer together since the summer. On December 21st, 2020 Jupiter is conjunct Saturn at 0° Aquarius. It’s called a Great Conjunction, because it is the rarest of all planetary conjunctions we can see here on earth. One way is to say it is the moment of minimum separation between two objects as viewed from the Earth. Binoculars or a telescope may help you distinguish the planets. The reason an eclipse doesn't happen every month is that the Moon's orbit is slightly tilted in relation to the ecliptic, and it normally passes above or below the Sun. The "Great Conjunction" on Dec. 21, 2020 will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Jupiter and Saturn together through a telescope. Distance, brightness, and size of planets. Over a period of one thousand years, from 1600 to 2599, there are only six great conjunctions where the minimum separation between Jupiter and Saturn is less than 0.2 degrees: 1623, 1683, 2020, 2080, 2417, and 2477. Generally speaking, a conjunction is when two objects appear close to each other in the sky. On the December solstice in 2020, Jupiter’s and Saturn’s orbits will bring them together in a ‘great conjunction’. Then, by the end of it in December 22nd, [2020], Jupiter performs its famous conjunction to Saturn, but no more in the sign of Capricorn, both planets will have moved to Aquarius at 00° degree by then. ‘Christmas star’ 2020: 10 stunning photos as Saturn, Jupiter converge in ‘great conjunction’ Great conjunctions have a rhythm! On both these occasions, the minimum separation of Jupiter and Saturn will be 1.1 degrees—which means they will be eleven times farther apart than on December 21, 2020. The last Mercury transit was on November 11, 2019. Provided by the San Diego Astronomy Association in San Diego, USA. Scroll down to see a live stream recording of the 2020 great conjunction! ... Dec 21, 2020 at 11:57 PM . Jupiter-Saturn Great Conjunction 2020: A pairing between any pair of planets is a conjunction. Occasionally, Jupiter appears to pass Saturn three times, in a zigzag fashion. A conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn—which only happens about once every 20 years—is called a great conjunction. That’s just ⅕ … The distances are to scale; the sizes of the Sun and the planets are not. On December 21, 2020, in a close conjunction, Jupiter passes Saturn in the evening sky This is known as a Great Conjunction.. Look toward the southwest about one hour after sunset. Convert to your time zone. © Time and Date AS 1995–2020. At the start of December, the planets were two degrees apart, and still moving closer together. If you're in New York or London, or along those latitudes, try to spot the conjunction right after sunset. More precise figures are 11.86 years for Jupiter's orbital period, 29.46 years for Saturn's orbital period, and 19.86 years for the average frequency of a great conjunction. During January 2021, however, the two planets will become lost in the glare of the Sun. According to Christian lore, a bright light in the sky led the Three Wise Men to the location of Jesus's birth. But between December 16 and 25, they will become even cozier. So, yes, this is an incredibly rare event. A telescope would enable a view of Saturn's rings and the brightest moons of both planets, he said. A photographer captures a triple conjunction of the moon, Jupiter and Saturn from the Alborz Mountains in Iran, after sunset on December 17, 2020, ahead of the great conjunction. December 21st, 2020 – Jupiter Conjunct Saturn In Aquarius. This is the beginning of a new era! Since September 2020, Jupiter has been moving closer and closer to Saturn in the early evening sky. The Jupiter-Saturn conjunction of December 2020 is the biggest shift in 20 years - 200 years - 400 years - 600 years - 2,000 years - and 26,000 years. A conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, on the other hand, is relatively rare: it only happens about once every 20 years. In fact, some scholars have theorized that the original Christmas star, known as the Star of Bethlehem, might also have been a great conjunction. By now you may have heard the buzz about Jupiter and Saturn aligning on the winter solstice, December 21, 2020. excluding Uranus and Neptune). 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