Current Weather

Currently on MIX 106.5

(There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays
Barry Manilow

CURRENTLY ON KiX 100.3

If I Could Make A Living
Clay Walker

The ‘Great Conjunction’ of Jupiter and Saturn 2020

SHARE NOW

SYLACAUGA, Ala. – Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest planets in our solar system, came closer together than they have been in 800 years on Monday.

The alignment has been nicknamed the “Christmas Star” but the fact that this event is happening close to Christmas and during the winter solstice is pure coincidence.

According to the Royal Astronomical Society, the two largest planets in the solar system were just 0.1 degrees apart, or about one fifth of the diameter of the full moon.

If you missed it Monday night or the sky wasn’t clear, fear not: The two planets only appear to move apart very slowly, and will still appear unusually close together in the coming days.

The best perspective is for those near the equator.

While these two planets may appear close, it is only an optical effect. The two planets were millions of miles apart on Monday, despite appearing to be almost next to each other from the Earth’s perspective.

Conjunctions that are this close are very unusual, according to the Royal Astronomical Society, and Jupiter and Saturn were last seen in such proximity in 1623.

If you missed this conjunction and want to see the planets with the same proximity, just higher in the sky, it won’t happen until March 15, 2080 — and then not again until after 2400.

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Reynolds Jr.


Click here to e-mail the reporter.© 2016-2023, SylacaugaNews.com/Marble City Media LLC/RadioAlabama. All Rights Reserved. RadioAlabama’s network -- MIX 106.5 (& 98.3 HD2), WSGN, KiX 100.3 (& 1290 AM), 105.1 WRFS, KiX 96.3 (& 1050 AM), RadioAlabama Sports, and RA Digital -- along with SylacaugaNews.com reports local news around the clock and will keep you up-to-date during breaking news and weather. For real-time alerts from SylacaugaNews.com, text NEWS to 59925. Standard text message rates may apply. By signing up, you agree to receive ongoing text message alerts from RadioAlabama. Consent not required for purchase. Up to eight messages per month. Reply STOP to cancel. Reply HELP for help. Message & Data rates may apply. Terms and Conditions/Privacy Policy @ www.optspot.com/tnc.