It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for sky-watchers on December 21, 2020 for they will witness the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn after it was last seen in 1623.
The two planets will come the closest to one another in the celestial marvel that will be seen next in 2080. The two slow-moving planets will be just 0.1 degrees apart.
NASA gave a few sky-watching tips to the people who might be interested in witnessing this phenomenon.
Here are some of them-
- Find%20a%20spot%20with%20a%20clear%20view%20of%20the%20sky%2C%20such%20as%20a%20field%20or%20park%2C%20where%20you%20can%20have%20an%20un%20obstructed%20view.%20Jupiter%20and%20Saturn%20are%20bright%20planets%20so%20they%20can%20be%20seen%20from%20most%20of%20the%20cities%20across%20the%20world.
- One%20hour%20after%20sunset%2C%20look%20to%20the%20southwestern%20sky.%20Jupiter%20will%20look%20like%20a%20bright%20star%20and%20be%20easily%20visible.%20Saturn%20will%20be%20slightly%20fainter%20and%20will%20appear%20slightly%20above%20and%20to%20the%20left%20of%20Jupiter%20until%20December%2021%2C%20when%20Jupiter%20will%20overtake%20it%20and%20they%20will%20reverse%20positions%20in%20the%20sky.
- The%20planets%20can%20be%20seen%20with%20the%20naked%20eye%2C%20but%20if%20you%20have%20binoculars%20or%20a%20small%20telescope%2C%20you%20may%20be%20able%20to%20see%20Jupiter%u2019s%20four%20large%20moons%20orbiting%20the%20giant%20planet.
The timing of the conjunction will be such that everyone will be able to view it and they’ll appear so close that a pinkie finger at arm’s length will easily cover both the planets in the sky. It will be visible nearly an hour after sunset in the southwestern sky.
Nehru Planetarium in Delhi has also opened registration for the viewing of the phenomenon. Adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, it has started the skywatch from December 20 to avoid crowding, its website said. This will go on till December 22. In addition, there will be webcasting.
Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium has said it will live stream the entire celestial ‘event’ on Youtube and Facebook channel if the weather conditions permit.
