Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It happens every 20 years as the planets align but they haven't been this close to the earth for 400 years.
That means you can see it without a telescope.
From an astrology/spiritual perspective:
When when Saturn (constriction) and Jupiter (expansion) align it brings balance.
First, planets look like stars to the naked eye, albeit unusually bright ones (in the cases of Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Saturn, at times in their orbits relative to Earth).
Second, the conjunction and expected visual merging will occur on December 21, not December 25.
Third, despite what the naked eye might see, Jupiter will not come close to a transiting/occulting Saturn. Mutual planetary transits/occultations are rare but they happen. On January 3, 1818, Venus transited Jupiter. Since Venus is the third-brightest natural* object in the sky (after the Sun and the Moon) and Jupiter the fourth, it would have been much brighter than this upcoming conjunction - Saturn being the ninth-brightest natural object in the sky.
*The International Space Station, obviously artificial, can be brighter than Venus
As it happens, that was the last time a mutual planetary transit/occultation occurred, though it marked the end of a run of nine such events in less than 120 years. The next will occur on November 22, 2065, when Venus again transits Jupiter. We will then enter a period in which said transits/occultations (involving vatious combinations of planets) begin happening more than once per decade.
It happens every 20 years as the planets align but they haven't been this close to the earth for 400 years.
That means you can see it without a telescope.
From an astrology/spiritual perspective:
When when Saturn (constriction) and Jupiter (expansion) align it brings balance.
You can always see both Jupiter and Saturn without a telescope. You just have to know where and when to look.
I can see 3 of Jupiter's moons and Saturn's rings with my backyard telescope. They have been visible for many weeks and are only now converging as Jupiter overtakes the slower Saturn.
The article did not point out that both planets have been very prominent high in the sky and have been progressing West. By the time they align they will be in the far West right after sunset, to most of America.
Best visible an hour after sunset. South west direction.
Check for your area sunset times here: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/
It will be visible around the world - clear sky weather.
It will probably look like a very bright, motionless airplane. The event will happen in the southwestern sky, pretty low on the horizon; so you'll need to get clear of any trees or other tall structures.
No need for any optical help.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
