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<ul><li><keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> are set to reunite tonight, on the night of the <keyword id="1324001" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Winter-Solstice">winter solstice</keyword>, for the first time in 800 years.</li><li>On December 21, two of the largest planets in our solar system will come close enough to make it look like they are only a coin’s width apart from Earth. In reality, Jupiter and Saturn will be 400 million miles apart.</li><li>The alignment will create a radiant point of light in the night sky. It is being dubbed as the ‘<keyword id="864236" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Christmas-star">Christmas Star</keyword>’ or the ‘Star of <keyword id="232425" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bethlehem">Bethlehem</keyword>’ due to the proximity of the celestial event to Christmas. In India, the conjunction is likely to be visible between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm.</li></ul>Two of the biggest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will be reunited for the first time in 800 years on the <keyword id="8475579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="longest-night-of-the-year">longest night of the year</keyword> — or the shortest day — in 2020.<br /><br />The winter solstice, set to occur on December 21, will see these two planets align for the first time since the middle ages. The last time such a December conjunction took place was back in 1226.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="NASA jupiter saturn alignment_edited" msid="79620093" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The expected position of Jupiter and Saturn over the horizon in North America on December 21&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />The two planets will inch closer to each other until they’re only a tenth of a degree apart in the night sky, which is roughly the same thickness as a coin, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (<a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/2567/whats-up-december-2020-video/">NASA</a>).  They will be visible nearly an hour after sunset in the southwestern sky.<br /><br />In India, the conjunction is likely to be visible between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm.<br /><br /><strong>The greatest of all great conjunctions<br /></strong>To be fair, Jupiter and Saturn align every 20 years or so. The event is dubbed the ‘great conjunction’. However, this year is the first time they’ll be lining up in the month of December and it’s the closest the planets have been since 1623. <br /><br />According to NASA, it's the ‘greatest’ of all great conjunctions between Jupiter and Saturn. Astronomers and sky gazers will be able to see the two giant planets and their moons within the same field of view by just using a telescope or a pair of binoculars. <br /><br />  <div type="image" title="NASA jupiter saturn alignment 2_edited" msid="79620073" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Jupiter, Saturn and their moons with be closer than they ever have been in 800 years on 21 December 2020&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Even though Jupiter and Saturn will be 400 million miles apart, they’ll create a radiant point of light in the night sky from Earth’s point of view. <br /><br />This phenomenon is being called the ‘Christmas Star’ or the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ due to the proximity of the event to Christmas.<br /><br />Amy C Oliver, the spokesperson for the Center of Astrophysics at Harvard and the Smithsonian, told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/science/space/jupiter-saturn-align-christmas-star.html">New York Times</a> that the next time Jupiter and Saturn would be this close will be in 2080 — 60 years down the line. <br /><br />So while the wait will be shorter this time around, for most adults, this is still a once in a lifetime opportunity.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/earth-gets-its-first-asteroid-samples-from-300-million-kilometres-away-and-they-could-hold-clues-to-the-origins-of-life/articleshow/79608779.cms">Earth gets its first asteroid samples from 300 million kilometres away — and they could hold clues to the origins of life</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/canara-bank-launches-2000-crore-qip-sets-the-floor-price-at-103-50-per-share/articleshow/79617503.cms">Canara Bank’s ₹2,000 crore fundraising plan boosts the share price by over 12% in two days</a><br /></strong><br />

Jupiter and Saturn will reunite after 800 years on the shortest day of the year to form a rare 'Christmas star'

<strong>Bengaluru,</strong> State-run <keyword id="415634" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru-Planetarium">Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium</keyword> in the <keyword id="24914" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="City-centre">city centre</keyword> has made arrangements to watch the <keyword id="10465369" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="celestial-conjunction">celestial conjunction</keyword> of <keyword id="34757" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="10465370" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="saturn-planets">Saturn planets</keyword> on Monday between 6.30-7.30 p.m., an official said on Sunday.<br /><br />"We have set up telescopes in our premises to watch the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on Monday evening if weather conditions permit," said the planetarium official in a statement here.<br /><br />Due to the Covid-induced restrictions on people gathering in large numbers in public places, those who register online to watch the <keyword id="862697" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="celestial-event">celestial event</keyword> will be allowed in the planetarium in batches of limited numbers to maintain social distancing.<br /><br />"Those unable to watch the event at the planetarium due to curbs on crowding, can see the conjunction of the two stars online at our website (www.taralaya.org) or Facebook and Youtube channel," said the statement.<br /><br />As the <keyword id="10465371" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fifth-planet">fifth planet</keyword> from the sun, Jupiter is the largest in the solar system, as a gas giant with a mass one-thousandth of the Sun.<br /><br />"As the sixth planet from the sun and second largest in the solar system, Saturn is a gas giant with an average radius of nine times that of earth," added the official.<br /><br />The conjunction also coincides with the longest day (December 21) in the year as the sun reaches a point where it appears to shine farthest to the south of equator over the Tropic of Capricorn, marking the start of the winter solstice.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ikea-india-cfo-says-she-still-has-3500-crore-to-be-spent-in-india-the-pandemic-has-changed-targets-but-not-the-investment-plan/articleshow/79790938.cms">INTERVIEW: Ikea CFO says she still has ₹3,500 crore to be spent in India⁠— the pandemic has changed targets but not the investment plan</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/india-will-produce-300-million-doses-of-the-russian-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccine-next-year/articleshow/79795341.cms">India will produce 300 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine next year</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/how-to-check-mrs-bectors-food-specialities-ipo-allotment-status-online/articleshow/79808672.cms">Mrs Bectors Food Specialities IPO allotment: Here’s how to check share allotment status</a></strong>

Watch Jupiter-Saturn conjunction at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6372165" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mercury">Mercury</keyword>, <keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword>, and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> are aligned in the night sky, appearing closer together than they've been since 2000.</li><li>When three <keyword id="6448742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Planets">planets</keyword> move into such a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">conjunction</a>, it's known as a planetary trio.</li><li>Here's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-jupiter-saturn-align-conjunction-2020-12">how to see</a> the conjunction on Monday night.</li></ul><p>Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn are currently clustering together in the night sky.</p><p>Monday is <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/whats-up-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/">the final night</a> that the three planets will be lined up and visible at twilight. They appeared the closest they'd been in more than two decades on Sunday, forming an equilateral triangle.</p><p>"This shape is just a blip in time," Amy Oliver, a spokeswoman for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/09/metro/planets-align-form-rare-trio-this-weekend/#:~:text=The%20last%20planetary%20trio%20was,Saturn%20will%20come%20close%20together.">told the Boston Globe</a>. "We won't see it exactly like this ever again, since it probably isn't going to happen again in this exact same way - at least not in your lifetime."</p><p>An astronomical event in which celestial bodies align like this is called a conjunction. A triple alignment like this is known as a planetary trio.</p><p>If you hold your palm up to the sky and all three planets cluster within a circle that fits in the space between your ring finger and your pointer finger, that's a trio. </p><p>Here's how to see the planetary trio before it's gone.</p><h2>Head out at twilight, and bring binoculars</h2><div type="image" title="mercury" height="3090" width="4010" msid="80223937" hostid="261"></div><p>On Monday, head out at twilight, between half an hour and 45 minutes after sunset. Look to the southwestern sky. The clearer the sky is, and the father from city lights you are, the easier it will be to see the conjunction. </p><p>Jupiter will look brightest to the naked eye (it's about 10 times bright than Saturn), followed by Mercury, then Saturn. </p><p>Since Saturn is so dim, it may not be distinguishable from the sun's afterglow with the naked eye. So the best way to spot the planetary triangle is to focus your eyes on Jupiter, which will be near the top, then point a pair of binoculars at it. Mercury and Saturn should appear in the same binocular field as Jupiter, <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/planetary-trio-low-in-west-at-dusk#link=%7B%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22href%22:%22https://earthsky.org/tonight/planetary-trio-low-in-west-at-dusk%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22,%22linkText%22:%22EarthSky%22%7D">according to EarthSky</a>. </p><p>After Monday, Jupiter and Saturn will dip below the horizon and no longer be visible, while Mercury will continue rising in the sky night after night - moving steadily away from the other two planets.</p><p>Although the three worlds seem to almost touch during the planetary trio, Jupiter and Saturn are actually separated by <a href="https://www.planetsforkids.org/closest-planet-to-saturn.html">almost five times</a> the distance between Earth and the sun. Mercury and Saturn are separated by nearly twice that distance. </p><h2>The last time these 3 planets aligned so closely was in 2000</h2><div type="image" title="saturn" height="2628" width="3504" msid="80223938" hostid="261"></div><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-jupiter-saturn-align-conjunction-2020-12">Astronomers turned their telescopes skyward</a> last month to catch another conjunction event, when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">Jupiter and Saturn aligned</a> more closely than they had for centuries.</p><p>In the last 2,000 years, there were just two times that Jupiter and Saturn came closer in the sky: One was in 1623, but the sun's glare made it impossible to see. The other was in 1226. </p><p>Planetary trios, by contrast, are far more common. The last one was in October 2015. Another trio, involving Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter, will happen on February 13, <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/planetary-trio-low-in-west-at-dusk#link=%7B%22role%22:%22standard%22,%22href%22:%22https://earthsky.org/tonight/planetary-trio-low-in-west-at-dusk%22,%22target%22:%22_blank%22,%22absolute%22:%22%22,%22linkText%22:%22EarthSky%22%7D">according to EarthSky</a>.</p><p>The last time Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn formed a triangle was <a href="https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/alignment.html">in May 2000</a>.</p>

Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn are clustering in the night sky in a rare, three-planet conjunction event. Here's how to see it on Monday.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Photographers from around the world captured <keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> aligning almost perfectly in the night sky this week.</li><li>Monday was the closest the two <keyword id="6448742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Planets">planets</keyword> have appeared in 800 years — the last time they were both this close and visible was in 1226.</li><li>The two planets move into alignment, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saturn-moon-conjunction-smartphone-pictures-2019-4">or conjunction</a>, every 20 years. But this year they were close enough to look like a "double planet."</li></ul><p>On the eve of the winter solstice, Jupiter and Saturn seemed to touch in the night sky.</p><p>The last time the two planets looked this close from Earth's vantage point was nearly 800 years ago. The astronomical event is called a conjunction, the term for an alignment of celestial bodies. Since this conjunction involved the two biggest gas giants in our solar system, it's known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_conjunction">great conjunction</a>.</p><p>The conjunction wasn't a one-night event: The planets' approach in the sky started December 17, and they'll continue to appear close together until Christmas Day. Monday was just when Jupiter and Saturn were at their very closest. So if you haven't seen it yet, you've got a few more nights to try.</p><p>This <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">"Christmas star,"</a> as the conjunction has been nicknamed, appeared brighter than nearly every star in the sky, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">according to NASA</a>. That made the two planets easy to photograph. </p><p>Katherine Trouche, a <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> communicator with <keyword id="6360409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword>'s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, snapped an impressive photo (below) using her telescope and an iPhone XR. </p><div type="image" title="jupiter saturn conjunction" height="752" width="757" msid="79895292" hostid="261"></div><p>"To be able to see five moons and two planets over 400 million miles away using nothing but pieces of glass and metal is nothing short of astonishing," she told Business Insider.</p><h2>A double planet</h2><p>The distance between Jupiter and Saturn is actually <a href="https://www.planetsforkids.org/closest-planet-to-saturn.html">more than four times</a> that between Earth and the sun.</p><p>But on Monday, the planets were separated in the sky by a distance equal to about one-fifth of a full moon's diameter. That's so close that the two points of light formed a kind of double planet.</p><p>People from around the world captured the rare alignment over the past week.</p><p>Photographer Alireza Vafa snapped this view of the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn above the Alborz Mountains in Iran.</p><p>Con Kolivas, an engineer and amateur astronomer from Australia, took this photo on Sunday.</p><p>Gary Hershorn, a photographer based in New York City, encountered cloudy conditions on Monday. But he captured a shot of the two planets approaching one another the week before, above the Statue of Liberty.</p><div type="image" title="jupiter saturn conjunction" height="976" width="1440" msid="79895294" hostid="261"></div><p>"As a photographer, I have been looking forward to seeing the 'Christmas Star,'" he told Business Insider. "The two planets have been setting next to the Statue of Liberty for the past week getting a bit closer together each day. It was a beautiful sight to see last week as they came down behind the statue."</p><p>The best time to catch a glimpse of the conjunction is at twilight, during the hour after sunset. Look low in the sky, toward the southwest. (Websites like <a href="https://stellarium-web.org/">Stellarium</a> can help you orient your telescope.)</p><div type="image" title="saturn jupiter conjunction skitch" height="3654" width="4873" msid="79895296" hostid="261"></div><p>For those who want to see the event online on Tuesday, the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York is hosting a live stream event from its telescopes on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59KrPxtFIQne_xh6_j2q-w">YouTube</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aaadotorg/">Facebook Live</a> starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.</p><h2>A rare celestial event</h2><p>Jupiter and Saturn align to some degree every 20 years.</p><p>"But it is fair to say that this conjunction is truly exceptional in that the planets get very close to one another," Patrick Hartigan, a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, <a href="https://sparky.rice.edu/~hartigan/public-night/jupsat.html">explained on his website</a>.</p><p>In the last 2,000 years, there were just two times that Jupiter and Saturn came closer in the sky than they got this year. One was in 1623, but the sun's glare made it impossible to see. The other was in 1226.</p><div type="image" title="conjunction" height="1041" width="1041" msid="79895299" hostid="261"></div><p>Viewers will have to wait until March 15, 2080 to see Jupiter and Saturn as close as they were on Monday.</p><p>"The major challenge there is you'll have to stay alive for another 60 years to see it!" Hartigan said.</p>

Photos reveal Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the sky as a 'Christmas star' that hadn't been seen for 800 years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Monday brings <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-equinox-and-solstice-work-in-simple-animation-2020-9">the longest night of the year</a>, along with the opportunity to watch a rare celestial occurrence.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">Jupiter and Saturn will appear so near each another</a> in the sky that they seem to touch. Their conjunction hasn't come this close since 1226.</li><li>At the same time, the Ursids meteor shower will send shooting stars streaking across the night sky.</li></ul><p>Monday night brings an astronomical anomaly. It's the longest night of the year for the Northern Hemisphere - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-equinox-and-solstice-work-in-simple-animation-2020-9">the winter solstice</a> - and it will feature both a meteor shower and a once-in-800-years "double planet."</p><p>You don't need a telescope to see any of this.</p><p><keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword>, which shine as bright as stars in the night sky, will appear so close to each other that they <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">seem to touch</a>. An alignment, or conjunction, between these two planets happens every 20 years, but the last time they looked this close from Earth's vantage point was on March 4, 1226.</p><div type="image" title="saturn jupiter conjunction skitch" height="3263" width="4351" msid="79848142" hostid="261"></div><p>At the same time, the Ursids meteor shower will be peaking, sending five to 10 shooting stars across the night sky per hour. That's because Earth will be passing through the thickest part of a trail of debris left behind by comet 8P/Tuttle. As those bits of ice and dust burn up in the atmosphere, they can leave bright flares in the sky.</p><p>This will all take place on the <keyword id="1324001" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Winter-Solstice">winter solstice</keyword>, when the tilt of Earth's axis and the shape of its orbit bring the Northern Hemisphere to its farthest point from the sun. That makes Monday the shortest day (and longest night) of the year for that half of the globe.</p><p>You can take advantage of the long night to see the historic double planet and bonus meteor shower.</p><h2>How to see Jupiter and Saturn meet amid shooting stars</h2><div type="image" title="meteor shower watch hammock stargazing" height="1666" width="2222" msid="79848145" hostid="261"></div><p>Jupiter and Saturn are separated by more than four times the distance between Earth and the sun. But on Monday night, they will be separated in the sky by a distance equal to about one-fifth of a full moon's diameter.  <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">According to NASA</a>, a pinkie finger at arm's length should easily cover both Jupiter and Saturn in the sky.</p><p>This "<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">Christmas star</a>," as the conjunction has been nicknamed, should appear brighter than nearly every star in the sky, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">according to NASA</a>.</p><p>So you should be able to see it with the naked eye, especially if you're far from city lights. A telescope or binoculars could help you spy the planets' moons. Your phone's camera could even capture photos of the merging planets, according to <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">NASA</a> - if your timing is right.</p><p>"You will need to have a clear southwestern horizon and no low clouds in the distance," Patrick Hartigan, a professor of physics and <keyword id="6391802" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="astronomy">astronomy</keyword> at Rice University, <a href="https://sparky.rice.edu/~hartigan/public-night/jupsat.html">said on his website</a>.</p><p>For viewers in the US, Canada, and Europe, it could be challenging to see the conjunction because of how low it will be on the horizon, Hartigan said.</p><div type="image" title="Jupiter saturn conjunction" height="1569" width="2092" msid="79848147" hostid="261"></div><p>"Viewing conditions are best close to the equator, though no matter where you are, there is maybe an hour or so to observe this conjunction before the planets sink into the haze," he added.</p><p>For best viewing of the conjunction, head out around twilight - the hour after sunset - and point your telescope toward the southwestern sky. (Websites like <a href="https://stellarium-web.org/">Stellarium</a> can help you orient your telescope.)</p><p>To catch the shooting stars, stay out a bit later. Once the moon sets - after midnight - dark skies will make a better backdrop to spot meteors.</p><p>If it ends up cloudy on Monday, don't worry. The conjunction will last through December 25. The solstice is just when the two planets will be at their very closest in the sky.</p><p>The Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, will host a <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.youtube.com_watch-3Fv-3DXrRcfaWutLQ-26feature-3Dyoutu.be&amp;d=DwIGaQ&amp;c=tq9bLrSQ8zIr87VusnUS9yAL0Jw_xnDiPuZjNR4EDIQ&amp;r=d43P1fgSxo0AkG0k1nHrtcSf299oOk2cPPJBikEuWIg&amp;m=dE8e0NB48WvZGnOaPHF4Je1bwOoQN70PFdtjGbr-Ros&amp;s=v9b0usqphmvIfQeJZUQ1pLAR7Z1_D2AijVTGUy6fXFU&amp;e=1_D2AijVTGUy6fXFU&amp;e=">YouTube livestream</a> of views through its telescopes starting at 7 p.m. ET on Monday. In Rome, <a href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2020/10/01/the-2020-jupiter-saturn-great-conjunction-online-observation-21-dec-2020/">the Virtual Telescope Project</a> also plans to share live views of the conjunction.</p><p><em>Aylin Woodward contributed reporting.</em></p>

Tonight is the longest night of the year. You can use it to see a meteor shower and the historic Jupiter-Saturn 'double planet.'

<ul><li><keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword>, <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> and the Red Planet, <keyword id="47638" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mars">Mars</keyword>, <keyword id="9050049" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="plan-to-meet">plan to meet</keyword> up with the Moon this week. </li><li>On April 14, 15, and 16, the Moon will pay each of them a visit as they’re lined up next to each other. </li><li>Such an alignment only occurs once every 20 years or so. This year, it’s the closest that these planets have been in a very long time.</li></ul>Everyone on Earth may be stuck at home and practising <keyword id="8897280" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-distancing">social distancing</keyword>, but the Jupiter, Saturn and Mars have a ‘close rendezvous’ with the Moon this week. <br /><br />They’ve been inching closer over the last few weeks and have a planetary quartet planned before Mars slips away from its accompanying gas giants. On April 14, 15 and 16 the four will be aligned and you’ll be able to observe them even without a telescope or binoculars.<br /><br />It’s a good way to pass the time during the lockdown since the planets won’t be seen together again for a couple of years. According to astronomers, Jupiter and Saturn only come in conjunction once every 20 years before drifting apart again. The last time this phenomenon occurred was in May 2000.<br /><br /><strong>Where and when to spot the rare event<br /></strong>Due to the lockdown, you can’t head outside, but you can always gaze out the window or stand on the balcony. Make sure you’re equipped with a map of the sky before you go stargazing so that you know where to look. If you don’t have one on hand, you can get a night-sky chart from <a href="https://in-the-sky.org/">in-the-sky.org</a> or there are also apps like PYOPYO Studio and SkySafari that you can download.<br /><br />When you’re outside you’ll need to give your eyes at least 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the night sky. This will make a big difference even if you live in an area where there’s a lot of light pollution. <br /><br />If you think you’ll still need to have access to your phone, you can also tape something red over it or download a red filter app to reduce the glare.<br /><br />On the first day, April 14, the Moon will be closest to the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. The following day, April 15, Earth’s natural satellite will be next to the ringed wonder of Saturn. Finally, on April 16, the Moon will meet up with the Red Planet, Mars.<br /><br />The interesting thing about Mars is that it’s inching closer and closer to Earth, and will continue to get brighter over time. This year it’s going to be the closest it’s been in years, which is why NASA and other space exploration agencies have planned to launch missions towards the God of War. Between now and October, Mars will get 20 times closer, inching towards Earth at around 800,000 kilometres per day.<br /><br />To track the planets as they move through the sky you can refer to the rise and set timings given below. Astronomers, however, recommend that the best time to view this phenomenon is during the hours before sunrise.<br /><br /><strong>On April 14:</strong><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Planet<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rise <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Set<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Visibility<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mars<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">02:21<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">13:00<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Average<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jupiter<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">01:28<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11:55<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fairly good<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Saturn<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">01:48<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12:21<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Average<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><strong>On April 15:</strong><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Planet<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rise <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Set<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Visibility<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mars<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">02:20<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12:59<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Average<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jupiter<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">01:24<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11:51<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fairly good<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Saturn<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">01:44<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12:17<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Average<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><strong>On April 16:</strong><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Planet<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rise <br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Set<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Visibility<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mars<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">02:18<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12:69<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Average<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jupiter<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">01:20<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11:48<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fairly good<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Saturn<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">01:40<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12:13<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Average<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In December, the three planets won’t be coming together but Jupiter and Saturn plan to be closer than they have ever been in centuries. According to astronomers, the planets will be within 0.1 degrees of each other — that’s one-fifth the diameter of the Moon. The only other time that they were this close to each other was back in 1623.<br /><br />If you have a telescope, this will be the first time that you’ll be able to observe both the planets within the space field of view.<br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/heres-how-the-gisat-1-will-add-to-indias-space-power/articleshow/74451883.cms">Here's how ISRO's GISAT-1 satellite will add to India's space power</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/coronavirus-lockdown-explore-mars-jupiter-or-leave-the-solar-system-with-nasa/articleshow/75006371.cms">Coronavirus lockdown can make you want to leave the planet — here's how you can explore Mars, Jupiter or even leave the solar system</a></strong><br />

Jupiter, Saturn and Mars ignore social distancing as they plan to meet the Moon this week

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="34757" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jupiter">Jupiter</keyword> and <keyword id="42442" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saturn">Saturn</keyword> will align in the night sky on Monday. It'll be the closest they've appeared in 800 years.</li><li>The two <keyword id="6448742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Planets">planets</keyword> move into alignment, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saturn-moon-conjunction-smartphone-pictures-2019-4">or conjunction</a>, every 20 years. But this year they will be so close that they'll look like a "double planet."</li><li>The last time Saturn and Jupiter were both this close and visible was in 1226.</li><li>Here are the best ways to see, photograph, or watch a live stream of the conjunction.</li></ul><p>Jupiter and Saturn are about to line up in the night sky, getting so close on Monday that they'll seem to touch.</p><p>The last time they looked this close from Earth's vantage point was nearly 800 years ago, on March 4, 1226.</p><p>An astronomical event in which celestial bodies align is called a conjunction. Since this conjunction involves the two biggest gas giants in our solar system, it's known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_conjunction">great conjunction</a>. It happens to some degree once every two decades.</p><p>"But it is fair to say that this conjunction is truly exceptional in that the planets get very close to one another," Patrick Hartigan, a professor of physics and <keyword id="6391802" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="astronomy">astronomy</keyword> at Rice University, <a href="https://sparky.rice.edu/~hartigan/public-night/jupsat.html">explained on his website</a>.</p><p>He added, "In fact, they will be so close it may be a challenge to separate them with the unaided eye for many people."</p><p>Here's how to see this rare conjunction on Monday night.</p><h2>How to view a 'double planet'</h2><h2><div type="image" title="jupiter.hubble" height="1247" width="1663" msid="79379632" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>Jupiter and Saturn are actually separated by <a href="https://www.planetsforkids.org/closest-planet-to-saturn.html">more than four times</a> the distance between Earth and the sun.</p><p>But on Monday, the night of the winter solstice, they will be separated in the sky by a distance equal to about one-fifth of a full moon's diameter, according to Hartigan. That's so close that the two points of light will look like they form a double planet. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">According to NASA</a>, a pinkie finger at arm's length should easily cover both Jupiter and Saturn in the sky.</p><p>This <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">"Christmas star,"</a> as the conjunction has been nicknamed, should appear brighter than nearly every star in the sky, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">according to NASA</a>.</p><p>Viewed through a small telescope, Jupiter and Saturn should appear in the same field of view, along with some of their moons.</p><div type="image" title="jupiter saturn conjunction" height="706" width="978" msid="79379633" hostid="261"></div><p>For viewers in the United States, Canada, and Europe, it could be challenging to see this conjunction because of how low it will be on the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere, Hartigan said.</p><p>"Viewing conditions are best close to the equator, though no matter where you are there is maybe an hour or so to observe this conjunction before the planets sink into the haze," he added.</p><p>To catch a glimpse, head out around twilight - the hour after sunset - and point your telescope toward the southwestern sky. (Websites like <a href="https://stellarium-web.org">Stellarium</a> can help you orient your telescope.)</p><p>"You will need to have a clear southwestern horizon and no low clouds in the distance," Hartigan said.</p><p>He recommends setting up your telescope before it gets dark and bringing binoculars, which could help you <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">spot Jupiter's four moons</a> too.</p><h2><div type="image" title="Jupiter saturn conjunction" height="1569" width="2092" msid="79845776" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>If it ends up being cloudy where you live on Monday, don't worry, Hartigan said. The conjunction is an ongoing event that lasts until December 25 - Monday is just when the two planets will be the closest in the sky.</p><p>"You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium," Henry Throop, a NASA astronomer, said <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn">in a press release</a>. "From our vantage point, we'll be able to be to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21."</p><h2>You could photograph the conjunction with your phone</h2><p>Jupiter and Saturn's conjunction "can be photographed easily on DSLR cameras and many cell phone cameras," <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">NASA said</a>.</p><p>The agency suggests using the <a href="https://thegadgetflow.com/blog/best-night-mode-shots-gadgets/">"night mode"</a> feature on an iPhone, Pixel, or Galaxy to get a stable, long-exposure photo.</p><p>"Try to frame the planets with something - the silhouette of a tree, an outdoor landscape, the arch of a building, or even a neon sign," <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1615/how-to-photograph-the-conjunction-of-saturn-and-jupiter/">NASA said</a>.</p><p>If you use a DSLR camera, a tripod is recommended to get good long-exposure photos. In the absence of a tripod, set your camera to a shutter speed of less than one-quarter of a second. Also be sure to open your camera's aperture to its widest setting and use manual focus mode, NASA said.</p><p>For people who can't head outside for the event, the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, will host a <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.youtube.com_watch-3Fv-3DXrRcfaWutLQ-26feature-3Dyoutu.be&amp;d=DwIGaQ&amp;c=tq9bLrSQ8zIr87VusnUS9yAL0Jw_xnDiPuZjNR4EDIQ&amp;r=d43P1fgSxo0AkG0k1nHrtcSf299oOk2cPPJBikEuWIg&amp;m=dE8e0NB48WvZGnOaPHF4Je1bwOoQN70PFdtjGbr-Ros&amp;s=v9b0usqphmvIfQeJZUQ1pLAR7Z1_D2AijVTGUy6fXFU&amp;e=1_D2AijVTGUy6fXFU&amp;e=">YouTube livestream</a> of views through its <keyword id="62018" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Telescopes">telescopes</keyword> starting at 7 p.m. ET on Monday. In Rome, <a href="https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2020/10/01/the-2020-jupiter-saturn-great-conjunction-online-observation-21-dec-2020/">the Virtual Telescope Project</a> also plans to share live views of the conjunction.</p><h2>Another conjunction like this will come in 2080</h2><p>In the last 2,000 years, there were just two times that Jupiter and Saturn came closer in the sky than they'll get this year. One was in 1623, but the sun's glare made it impossible to see. The other was in 1226.</p><p>But if you miss the conjunction on December 21, another will come in 60 years.</p><div type="image" title="saturn" height="2628" width="3504" msid="79379634" hostid="261"></div><p>On March 15, 2080, Jupiter and Saturn will look just as close as they do this month. That event will be easier to see, since it'll appear higher above the horizon, Hartigan said.</p><p>"The major challenge there," he added, "is you'll have to stay alive for another 60 years to see it!"</p>

Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer in the sky than they have for 800 years on Monday, aligning as a 'double planet.' Here's how to see it.

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://twitter.com/GP_O11">Copyright of Grant Petersen</a></span></p><p class="caption">An occultation of Saturn and the moon, as seen from South Africa on March 29, 2019, using a smartphone mounted to a telescope.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Planets and moons line up and "touch" in the night sky during <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/astronomy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">astronomical</a> events called conjunctions.</li><li>When the moon eclipsed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/saturn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturn</a> in March, South African astrophotographer Grant Petersen was ready.</li><li>Petersen used his telescope, a smartphone, and some careful planning to record stunning photographs of the Saturn-moon conjunction.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul><p>On March 29, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cassini-spacecraft-images-last-ever-taken-2017-9">planet Saturn</a> and the moon lined up perfectly, seeming to touch in the night sky.</p><p>This relatively common yet easy-to-miss event is called a conjunction. And luckily for his fellow earthlings, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-astronomy-space-images-astrophotographers-contest-2018-10">astrophotographer</a> Grant Petersen managed to capture the conjunction using a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shooting-meteor-shower-photos-on-iphone-2015-8">smartphone</a> mounted to a telescope.</p><p>Petersen recorded the stunning picture above from from Johannesburg, South Africa, then shared it to Twitter for the world to see.</p><p>"That was frickin spectacular," Petersen said in the <a href="https://twitter.com/GP_O11/status/1111492297106116608" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a> accompanying his photo. "I'm smiling from ear to ear, nothing gonna get me off this astronomy high."</p><p>The image is actually a combination of several photos, and it shows Saturn just before it slipped behind the moon before dawn.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://twitter.com/GP_O11">Copyright of Grant Petersen</a></span></p><p class="caption">Grant Petersen, an astrophotographer in South Africa, uses a telescope, adapters, and a smartphone to take detailed photos of the night sky.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Like many astrophotographers, Petersen said he constantly looks out for "the next big astronomy event" that will be visible at his location. Sometimes the event is a passing comet or asteroid, other times it's the <a href="https://twitter.com/metrolinaszabi/status/1111569628579418112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Space Station</a> zipping by.</p><p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-eclipse-space-station-nasa-photos-video-2017-8">NASA photographed the International Space Station flying in front of a total solar eclipse</a></em></p><p>To figure out what's ahead, Petersen said, he uses a variety of astronomy apps and diaries. When the Saturn-moon conjunction came to his attention in January, he devised a plan to photograph it.</p><p>Petersen told Business Insider that he had "a lot of anticipation and excitement running up to the event" - that is, until rain hit Johannesburg the evening before. Luckily, the poor weather passed to reveal a crystal-clear night sky in time for the conjunction.</p><p>"When an event like this comes along and all goes according to plan, and [we] can avoid issues like weather, equipment failure, or human error, it feels like a great accomplishment," he said.</p><p>Petersen got up at 4 a.m., about two hours before the conjunction, to arrange and test his gear. His setup included an 8-inch dobsonian (a relatively cheap and portable yet large telescope), a Galaxy S8 smartphone, an adapter to connect it to a lens, and an eyepiece.</p><p>As Saturn edged toward the moon, Petersen recorded it in 60-frame-per-second video. Then after the conjunction, he processed the images using a technique called stacking to merge several of the video frames into a brighter, clearer picture. Then he shared his best photos to Twitter. </p><p>"I felt like a kid at Christmas," Petersen said. "I got a comment that said it reminded them of the first <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-is-heaven-james-lovell-lunar-astronaut-2017-3">Earthrise pic</a> from the Apollo missions."</p><p>Petersen also took the photo below, which shows how small Saturn looks when it's 950 million miles away from Earth. The planet appears to be just a tiny fraction of the moon's diameter, which itself is small: about the width of your index finger's tip when held at arm's length against the night sky.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://twitter.com/GP_O11">Copyright of Grant Petersen</a></span></p><p class="caption">An occultation of Saturn and the moon, as seen from South Africa on March 29, 2019, using a smartphone mounted to a telescope.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Petersen said the next big event he hopes to photograph is the transit of Mercury across the sun on November 11.</p><p>"I am really looking forward to that already," he said.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronomers-discover-12-new-jupiter-moons-2018-7">Astronomers just discovered 12 new moons around Jupiter</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

A photographer captured pictures of Saturn 'touching' the moon with his smartphone, and the shots are stunning

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="47638" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mars">Mars</keyword> and <keyword id="6436894" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="venus">Venus</keyword> will align in the sky on Monday and Tuesday, appearing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">almost to touch</a>.</li><li><keyword id="6448742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Planets">Planets</keyword> move into alignments like this, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saturn-moon-conjunction-smartphone-pictures-2019-4">called conjunctions</a>, fairly often. This pair last aligned in 2019.</li><li>This conjunction will be easily visible. Here are the best ways to see it.  </li></ul><p>Mars and Venus are about to line up in the night sky, getting so close on Monday and Tuesday that they'll almost seem to touch.</p><p>An astronomical event in which celestial bodies align in the sky like this is called a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">conjunction</a>.</p><p>All month, Mars and Venus have been creeping nearer to one another. After sunset on Monday night, the two planets will appear so close together that a full moon couldn't fit in between. That's just a finger's width apart if you hold your hand up to the sky, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/whats-up-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/">according to NASA</a>. </p><p>The two planets will actually get closest together in the early hours of Tuesday morning, but daylight will make that impossible to see. So instead, people will have to wait until after the sun sets on Tuesday to see the two planets clustered together again. After that, the pair will start getting farther and farther apart. </p><h2>To see the conjunction, go out soon after sunset and look west</h2><p>To catch a glimpse of the conjunction, head out around twilight - 45 minutes to an hour after sunset. The two planets will be visible to the naked eye after the sun sinks low below the horizon.</p><p>Look toward the lowest part of the western sky, close to the horizon, underneath the crescent moon. Binoculars or a telescope could give you a better view if you have them. (Websites like <a href="https://stellarium-web.org">Stellarium</a> can help you orient a telescope in the right direction.)</p><p>If you're on the East Coast, get outside before 10:07 p.m. local time, <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/whats-up-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/">NASA says</a>, because after that, Mars will start setting below the horizon, followed by Venus. (Venus sets <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/young-moon-venus-and-mars-conjunction/">about two hours</a> after sunset.)</p><h2><div type="image" title="mars and venus conjunction NASA" height="1080" width="1440" msid="84364035" hostid="261"></div></h2><p>Mars and Venus are actually separated by <a href="https://theplanets.org/distances-between-planets/">74.4 million miles</a>, almost the distance between Earth and the sun. </p><p>The two planets will be easy to distinguish from one another in the sky because Venus shines <a href="https://earthsky.org/tonight/young-moon-venus-and-mars-conjunction/">about 190 times brighter</a> than Mars, which also has appears reddish brown.</p><p>Fortunately, the moon will only be about 10% illuminated by the sun on Monday and Tuesday, which makes the alignment easier to see in clear skies.</p><h2>This pair of planets won't appear this close again until 2034</h2><div type="image" title="venus NASA image" height="900" width="1200" msid="84364036" hostid="261"></div><p>Planetary conjunctions aren't uncommon. Last year, Jupiter and Saturn aligned in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/see-jupiter-and-saturn-align-rare-double-planet-conjunction-2020-11">"great conjunction,"</a> appearing so close in the sky that they formed what looked like a double planet. Before that, those two planets had not appeared that close from Earth's vantage point since March 4, 1226 - nearly 800 years ago.</p><p>The last time Mars and Venus where this close from Earth's vantage point was on August 24, 2019. But that conjunction wasn't visible because the duo was too close to the sun, <a href="https://astronomy.com/magazine/news/2021/07/how-to-see-the-venus-and-mars-conjunction-this-month">according to Astronomy.com</a>.</p><p>If you miss the upcoming conjunction, you can observe another Mars-Venus alignment on February 22, 2024. On that day, though, the two planets won't look quite as close together as they will on Monday and Tuesday. To glimpse another conjunction like this one, <a href="https://astronomy.com/magazine/news/2021/07/how-to-see-the-venus-and-mars-conjunction-this-month">Astronomy.com</a> reports, you'll have to wait until May 11, 2034.</p>

You Searched For "jupiter saturn conjunction" and got 9 results

Jupiter and Saturn will reunite after 800 years on the shortest day of the year to form a rare 'Christmas star'

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Watch Jupiter-Saturn conjunction at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru

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Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn are clustering in the night sky in a rare, three-planet conjunction event. Here's how to see it on Monday.

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Photos reveal Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the sky as a 'Christmas star' that hadn't been seen for 800 years

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Tonight is the longest night of the year. You can use it to see a meteor shower and the historic Jupiter-Saturn 'double planet.'

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Jupiter, Saturn and Mars ignore social distancing as they plan to meet the Moon this week

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Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer in the sky than they have for 800 years on Monday, aligning as a 'double planet.' Here's how to see it.

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A photographer captured pictures of Saturn 'touching' the moon with his smartphone, and the shots are stunning

Dave Mosher

Mars and Venus will appear just a finger's width apart in the night sky on Monday and Tuesday. Here's how to see it.

Aylin Woodward

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