A rare space phenomenon is expected to occur tonight with the conjunction of the two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn. It looks like the Christmas Star will appear!
The event takes place on December 21. The fact that its appearance coincides with the Christmas season has led to the nickname "Christmas Star".
Its proximity to Christmas has led to the nickname of the Christmas Star, but in reality it is two planets coming much closer than has happened in the past.
Jupiter and Saturn will be within 0.1 degrees of each other in the night sky, making them appear as one giant starfor the first time since 1623.
The coincidence with Christmas may be more than just timing, according to the Perth Observatory, which noted that some astronomers believe the Star of Bethlehem mentioned in the Bible may have been a similar astronomical conjunction to the one set to occur tonight.
The Observatory noted that it is an event that you can watch with the "naked eye," but a telescope or some binoculars can help see better.
The reason the conjunction is happening now is due to the two planets' corresponding orbits around the sun
Jupiter rotates once every 11.86 years, while Saturn rotates once every 29.4 years. This means that every 20 years Jupiter passes Saturn in its orbit.
This pass is the Grand Conjunction. The last one happened on May 28, 2000, but it was difficult to see because the planets were lost in the sunlight.
Today you will be able to see this magnificent event if you can find an area that has an unobstructed view.
The actual conjunction is set to take place at 11.20pm AEDT and will appear near the horizon in the west.
Information source: news.com.au
