What is being popularly called “The Christmas Star” of 2020 may be a washout in Orange County on Monday evening, the day of the Winter Solstice.
Sunday evening after sunset may be the best time to see Jupiter and Saturn close together in the southwestern sky because the National Weather Service is predicting cloudy skies for Monday night.
However, the daytime Monday is supposed to be clear and the visibility of the sky could still be clear after sunset.
“The Christmas Star” is the conjunction in the sky of two planets.
NASA reports the two largest planets in the Earth’s solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will appear 1/10th of a degree apart in the western-southwestern sky on Monday. Though the two planets will seem to be next to each other, they are millions of miles apart and look close in Earth’s sky.
The national space agency said the 2020 conjunction will be the closest the two have been since 1623, and the closest visible from Earth since 1226, almost 800 years ago.
The 1/10th degree apart in the sky will be about the thickness of a dime held at arm’s length. Earth and Sky website said people with good eyesight will be able to see the separation. For others with not-so-perfect eyesight, the light from the two planets will appear as one big glow.
The website said the two planets are bright enough to be visible with the naked eye, even in most bright-lit cities. Binoculars or a small telescope can help skywatchers see the rings of Saturn and Jupiter’s four largest moons in its orbit.
The conjunction is occurring on the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, which NASA said is a coincidence of the orbiting patterns of our solar system. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and astrologically happens at 4:02 a.m. Monday, CST.
Sunday’s sunset is at 5:19 p.m. and Monday’s sunset is at 5:20 p.m. The best time to watch is 45 minutes to an hour after sunset in the southwestern sky.
NASA suggests finding a spot with an unobstructed view of the sky like at a park or a field.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
Social Media