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The two largest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, have fascinated astronomers for hundreds of years. But the two gas giants will do something next month, unheard of since the Middle Ages – they will look like a dual planet.
The rare event will occur after sunset on December 21, 2020, the start of the winter solstice.
“Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare due to the proximity of the planets,” Rice University astronomer Patrick Hartigan said in a report. declaration. “We would have to go back to the dawn of March 4, 1226 to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky.
Between December 16 and December 25, the two planets will be separated by less than one full moon, Hartigan added.
“On the evening of the closest approach on December 21, they will look like a double planet, separated by only one-fifth the diameter of the full moon,” Hartigan explained. “For most viewers, each planet and several of their larger moons will be visible in the same field of view that evening.”
The celestial event can be observed anywhere on earth, but Hartigan noted that the farther north someone, “the less time they have to see.”
Astronomers should try to see the event next month or risk waiting a long time for the next occurrence. The two planets won’t be as close to each other as on March 15, 2080 and sometime after AD 2400, Hartigan explained.
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