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Image Released, Getty Images
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With binoculars or a small telescope, you can see Jupiter’s major moons
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In a rare astronomical event seen once in a lifetime, the two largest planets in our solar system will meet in a clear sky Monday evening; Jupiter and Saturn, and they will appear to become one planet in what is known as the phenomenon of great conjunction that coincides with the winter solstice.
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The great conjunction occurs when the two planetary paths intersect and become so close to each other that they will appear in the sky as if they are touching, giving the impression that they are merging and shining as one planet.
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It will be the closest moment between the two planets, which has not occurred since 1623.
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But back to that moment in the past, our planet’s proximity to the Sun made this conjunction difficult to see.
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“We have to go back to the year 1226 when the two planets were closer than this and visible from Ireland,” says the Irish Astronomical Association.
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“If you are lucky enough to have a clear sky, you will be able to see this event with the naked eye at 17:00 GMT. If you have a good telescope, you will also see some of Jupiter’s four bright moons,” the association adds.
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These are known as the Galileo moons, as Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei observed them in 1610 using the new telescope he had invented a few months earlier.
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The first bodies to be found orbiting a body other than the sun or the earth were seen and were named Io, Europe, Ganymede and Callisto. He derived these designations from Greek mythology and chose four of the mistresses of the god Zeus, the “father of gods and human beings” who rules Mount Olympus in this mythology.
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Image Released, Anthony Murphy/Mythical Ireland
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Jupiter and Saturn as seen in a photo taken last week in County Meath, Ireland
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The association explains that “using a telescope, you will be able to see Titan (sometimes written as Titan), the largest moon of Saturn,” stressing that you must choose a place that is less lit and overlooks an open horizon that allows for a clear sky.
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This coupling phenomenon can be seen from all over the world. Astronomer David Moore says, “Immediately after sunset, I look towards the southwest or towards the position from which the sun set.”
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And he adds, “In fact, the two planets are not brighter, but their proximity to each other will make them appear brighter in the sky within a limited range.”
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To the naked eye, the two planets will appear to be less than a 0.1 ° angle away, but it’s actually a trick of perspective. The distance between Earth and Jupiter is currently more than 800 million km (though this varies according to the orbital position of each), and an almost identical distance separates Jupiter and Saturn.
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However, months ago, the two gas giants seemed to move toward each other in our night sky, until they finally “met”.
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The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs approximately once every 19.6 years. ”However, this time bears a specificity, because the coupling of 2020 will be the closest since the early seventeenth century.
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Jupiter and Saturn will get close once again in the year 2080, but according to the Astronomical Association, it will be “very difficult to see that because they will be in the twilight of dawn.”
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Image Released, DETLEV VAN RAVENSWAAY / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
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The last time Jupiter and Saturn joined forces in this form was 379 years ago
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The next time this phenomenon can be seen will be on August 24, 2414.
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“No wonder astronomers and stargazers are so excited this time,” says Ed Bloomer, astronomer at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. “It’s more than a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
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Ed adds: “Watching these celestial mechanics shed light on the physical processes behind them, and created a framework that not only allowed more understanding of the universe, but also contributed to countless scientific developments and innovations here on Earth.”
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And if the sky is clear, it will be easy to see the phenomenon, but you have to hurry if you want to catch up, you have one hour before the two planets disappear on the horizon.
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It is best to plan in advance and try to monitor their position for a few nights – which is a wonderful pastime in itself – so that you know where to find them exactly, at a low altitude in the southwest horizon, half an hour after sunset.
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There is an additional advantage, which is that December 21 is also the date of the solstice, that is, the first day of summer in the southern hemisphere, and winter in the northern hemisphere.
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