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An extremely rare opportunity to see an extraordinary planetary alignment will present itself to astronomers this Christmas.
The two gas giants of Jupiter and Saturn – the two largest planets in our solar system – will appear closer in the night sky than they have in nearly 800 years.
The planets can be seen at their closest point just after sunset on December 21, reports the Mirror.
Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University, said: “Alignments between these two planets are quite rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare due to the proximity of the planets.
“You should go back until dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky.”
The two planets have been approaching each other in the terrestrial sky since the summer and will be separated by a diameter smaller than that of a full moon from December 16-25.
Professor Hartigan explained: “On the evening of the closest approach, 21 December, they will look like a double planet, separated only by 1/5 the diameter of the full moon.
“For most telescope viewers, each planet and many of their larger moons will be visible in the same field of view that evening.”
While the best viewing conditions will be near the equator, eagle-eyed Brits should also be able to see the rare alignment.
“The further north a spectator is, the less time he will have to glimpse the conjunction before the planets sink below the horizon,” said Prof. Hartigan.
If you miss the rare event, you will have to wait a long time until the next close alignment.
Jupiter and Saturn will appear so close and high on March 15, 2089. After that, the pair won’t be that close until 2400.
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