Great Conjunction 2020 LIVE: Will Jupiter and Saturn ‘nearly touch’ AGAIN tonight, how to watch and what does it mean?
- What time is the winter solstice Great Conjunction?
A 'CHRISTMAS star' lit up the night's sky las night with Saturn and Jupiter coming together during a Great Conjunction.
The two massive planets came so close together they appeaed as a single object to the naked eye in an ultra-rare event that happens just once every 20 years.
And making the event even more special, this year was the closest conjunction since 1623 with the planets appearing just 0.1 degrees apart.
The exact time you could see the Christmas star depends on where you are in the world but it started becoming visible around 4pm yesterday UK time.
The planets moved so close that their brightness merged together to appear as one bright light.
Follow our live blog below for the very latest on the Great Conjunction 2020.
'ONCE IN A LIFETIME'
The best viewing conditions on Monday were in clear skies and close to the Equator, while people in Western Europe and along a vast swathe of Africa had to train their sight to the southwest.
But hundreds of space fans also gathered in Kolkata to watch -- through a telescope at a technology museum in the city, or from surrounding rooftops and open areas.
And in Kuwait, astrophotographers travelled into the desert west of Kuwait City to capture the once-in-a-lifetime event.
Looking with a telescope or even a good pair of binoculars, the two gas giants were separated by no more than a fifth of the diameter of a full moon.
COMING CLOSE
The solar system's two biggest planets, Jupiter and Saturn, came within planetary kissing range in Monday's evening sky, an intimacy that will not occur again until 2080.
This "great conjunction", as it is known to astronomers, occurred fortuitously on the winter solstice for those in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the global south.
The two planets were, in fact, more than 730 million kilometres (400 million miles) apart. But because of their alignment in relation to Earth, they appeared to be closer to each other than at any time in almost 400 years.
WHAT IS THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM?
In a rare astrological event, which has not occurred since the Middle Ages, planets Saturn and Jupiter are set to align, appearing to almost kiss each other in a dazzling display.
Some experts suggest this celestial phenomenon could be the star that kings Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar are said to have followed over 2,000 years ago.
The story is told in the Gospel of Matthew. In his account, the wise men arrive in Jerusalem and say to King Herod: “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.”
WHY IS THE NEXT GREAT CONJUNCTION SO FAR AWAY?
Great conjunctions happen when Jupiter, which laps the sun in a shade under 12 years, and Saturn, which orbits every 29.5 years, come into near alignment with the Earth.
Although the next alignment will take place in 20 years, it will not be until 2080 before the planets align so closely again.
Each great conjunction occurs about 119.16 years before or after the next or previous one of the same number.
The reason it is every second conjunction in the same constellational area instead of every one is that adjacent ones are less similar than ones two cycles apart,
This is because 119.16 years is closer to a whole number of years than 119.16÷2.
HOW WERE FIRE SIGNS AFFECTED BY THE CONJUNCTION?
Fire signs – Aries, Leo, Sagittarius – saw some new changes with the Great Conjunction.
According to , those who have been suffering in the relationship department will see a turnaround following the conjunction.
Expect new people to enter your social circle and to form friendships, or relationships with “kindred spirits.”
WHEN WAS THE LAST 'GREAT CONJUNCTION'?
The last time Jupiter and Saturn came this close was in 1623, but weather conditions in regions where the reunion could be seen blocked the view.
Visibility was apparently better the time before that during the Middle Ages, on March 4, 1226, according to AFP.
WHY IS STONEHENGE AND NEWGRANGE RELEVANT?
The stones of Stonehenge have silently marked the Winter Solstice for thousands of years.
They were shaped and set up to frame at least two important events in the annual solar cycle.
One is the midsummer sunrise at the summer solstice – the other is the midwinter sunset at the winter solstice.
In Newgrange, Co Meath, during sunrise on the shortest day of the year, direct sunlight can enter the monument for 17 minutes.
Not through the doorway, but through the specially contrived small opening above the entrance known as the “roof box” where it illuminates its chamber.
‘ONCE IN A LIFETIME’
The evening sky over the Northern Hemisphere treated stargazers to a once-in-a-lifetime illusion on Monday as the solar system’s two biggest planets appeared to meet in a celestial alignment that astronomers call the “Great Conjunction.”
The rare spectacle resulted from a near convergence of the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn that happened to coincide with Monday’s winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. For those able to observe the alignment in clear skies, the two frozen-gas spheres appeared closer and more vibrant – almost as a single point of light – than at any time in 800 years.
Jupiter – the brighter and larger of the pair – has been gradually nearing Saturn in the sky for weeks as the two planets proceed around the sun, each in its own lane of an enormous celestial racetrack, said Henry Throop, an astronomer at National Aeronautics and Space Administration headquarters in Washington.
“From our vantage point, well be able to be to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on Dec. 21, Throop said in a statement last week.
HOW FAR AWAY WERE THE PLANETS?
The two planets were, in fact, more than 730 million kilometres (400 million miles) apart during the Great Conjunction.
But because of their alignment in relation to Earth, they appeared to be closer to each other than at any time in almost 400 years.
Optimal “conjunction” took place at 1822 GMT.
CLOSE CALL
At the point of convergence, Jupiter and Saturn appeared to be just one-tenth of a degree apart, roughly equivalent to the thickness of a dime held at arm’s length.
In reality, of course, the planets remained hundreds of millions of miles apart.
A conjunction of the two planets takes place about once every 20 years. But the last time Jupiter and Saturn came as close together in the sky as on Monday was in 1623, an alignment that occurred during daylight and was thus not visible from most places on Earth.
The last visible great conjunction occurred long before telescopes were invented, in 1226, halfway through construction of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
WHAT DOES THE GREAT CONJUNCTION MEAN FOR MY STAR SIGN?
WATER SIGNS – CANCER, SCORPIO, PISCES
This is a period of “inner healing” leaving your heart feeling “more whole than it has for a long time”, says Allure.
The conjunction will teach you that it is safe to open up, trust and feel good.
HOW RARE IS THE GREAT CONJUNCTION?
The Great conjunction occurs every twenty years or so and is when both Jupiter and Saturn align at the same degree of the zodiac.
Next week’s Great Conjunction will not be matched until March 15, 2080, so this might just be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
A Great Conjunction similar to the one we will see on Monday has not been seen for 800 years.
SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR
The shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere always occurs in December.
But it’s timing varies as each year passes.
This is because there are 365.25 days in our calendar year, or how long it takes for the earth to orbit the sun.
WHAT TIME WAS THE ‘CHRISTMAS STAR’ SEEN IN THE US?
Star gazers were able to see the phenomenon yesterday evening in America.
Star-spotters were told to look up at a clear part of southwestern sky around an hour after sunset.
NASA said in a statement that Saturn will appear slightly above and to the left of Jupiter in the run up to the Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020.
The planets will then reverse their positions in the sky.
Jupiter and Saturn are bright, so they can be seen in areas with clear skies and no cloud cover — and even from most cities across the US.
This also means that the event can be seen with the naked eye – but NASA said binoculars or a small telescope may allow gazers to see Jupiter’s four large moons.
WHAT IS THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM?
In a rare astrological event, which has not occurred since the Middle Ages, planets Saturn and Jupiter are set to align, appearing to almost kiss each other in a dazzling display.
Some experts suggest this celestial phenomenon could be the star that kings Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar are said to have followed over 2,000 years ago.
The story is told in the Gospel of Matthew. In his account, the wise men arrive in Jerusalem and say to King Herod: “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.”
HOW DO PAGANS AND DRUIDS CELEBRATE THE WINTER SOLSTICE?
Every year, hundreds of people also gather at Stonehenge for the Winter Solstice, which falls around December 21.
It is the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.
On the solstice, people gather at Stonehenge in the early morning to watch the sunrise over the stones.
The Winter Solstice is also celebrated in Newgrange in Co Meath in Ireland.
HOW MANY DAYLIGHT HOURS ARE IN THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR?
The number of daylight hours on the shortest day is, of course, shorter than other days of the year.
On December 21 2020, there is 7 hours, 49 minutes and 42 seconds of daylight.
The shortest day is some 8 hours, 48 minutes and 38 seconds shorter than the summer solstice – the longest day of the year when daylight hours are at a maximum.
HOW WILL WATER SIGNS BE AFFECTED BY THE CONJUNCTION?
Water Signs - Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - are expecting a grateful start to 2021 because of the Conjunction.
This is a period of “inner healing” leaving your heart feeling “more whole than it has for a long time”, says Allure.
The conjunction will teach you that it is safe to open up, trust and feel good.
HOW WILL AIR SIGNS BE AFFECTED BY THE CONJUNCTION?
Air Signs - Gemini, Libra, Aquarius - are encouraged to go in a new direction because of the Conjunction.
This is a time to be selfish, have some fun and “prioritise pleasure” according to Allure.
It is time to dream big and enter into new things, even if they are big and scary. But don’t see it as something to stress about, just think of this new chapter as an adventure.