Rare astronomical phenomenon to be seen with the naked eye in the coming weeks

When the winter clouds recede, a special phenomenon can be seen in the starry sky in the coming weeks. The planets Jupiter and Saturn are almost against each other in the sky. Because the distance between the two points in the sky is so small, they almost seem to become one star.

The so-called conjunction occurs about every 20 years, through the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn and the Earth around the sun. But now the gap between the two is very small. “You can still tell them apart with the naked eye, but there is not much space in between. If you stretch your arm and raise your little finger, you can easily cover both planets, ”explains astronomer Marc van der Sluys of Radboud University in Nijmegen.

The peak of the conjunction is on December 21. That moment cannot be seen in the Netherlands, because Jupiter and Saturn are below the horizon. Just over an hour earlier, approximately between 5.15 pm and 6.15 pm, the planets can be seen, if the weather cooperates. “That is almost as good as the supreme moment itself. A day earlier or later they are slightly further apart ”, says Van der Sluys.

You have to wait a while for the next chance

The last time Jupiter and Saturn were seen so close together in the night sky was nearly 800 years ago, on March 5 in the year 1226.

The next opportunity to see the planets in this way is on March 15, 2080. Those who miss that will have to wait until August 2417.

What should you look at?

If you want to see Jupiter and Saturn together, you have to look southwest the hour after sunset, around dinner time. An hour after the sun, the planets themselves set. Both planets are low above the horizon. Van der Sluys: “You need an unobstructed view to the southwest. You can leave the built-up area, and an upper floor is better than a backyard. ”

Jupiter is the brightest of the two dots because that planet is larger and closer to Earth. Saturn is clearly weaker. If you look through a telescope or binoculars, you could also observe Jupiter’s moons Ganymede, Io, Callisto and Europa, the Saturn’s moon Titan and the rings of Saturn.

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