Viewing the Christmas Star on MidWinter NightHere's something for all you Christians
and Pagans and plain ol' stargazers
The Great Conjunction of 2020 will brighten the darkest day of the year as the two giant planets of our solar system draw closer together in the night sky than they have been in centuries.
By chance, the day that Jupiter and Saturn will appear closest for Earth-based stargazers is Dec. 21, the winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere.
The double planet view is also known by some astronomers as the "Christmas Star" because of a belief that the biblical tale of the Star of Bethlehem could have been a planetary conjunction. Although around two thousand years ago, Venus and Jupiter were closest — not Jupiter and Saturn, as is the case for the "Christmas Star" of 2020.
On the evenings of December 15 through 18, stargazers can easily find Jupiter and Saturn moving in conjunction by looking toward the waxing crescent moon in the western sky 45 minutes after sunset, according to NASA's Night Sky Network.
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