‘Great conjunction’ of Jupiter and Saturn will form a ‘Christmas Star’ on the winter solstice
Jupiter and Saturn will have their closest encounter in almost 400 years on the solstice (Dec. 21).
By Doris Elin Urrutia

December 11, 2020 | On the last solstice of 2020 (Dec. 21), Jupiter and Saturn will appear the closest together in the night sky in 4 centuries.

On Dec. 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will appear just one-tenth of a degree apart, or about the thickness of a dime held at arm’s length, according to NASA. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Some parts of Earth’s Northern Hemisphere have been feeling chilly weather for weeks now, but the official beginning of winter occurs on the solstice. This is the point when the daytime is at its shortest in one hemisphere and when daytime is the longest in the other hemisphere. Dec. 21 is the summer solstice for the southern half of planet Earth.

This year, the solstice happens to converge with a “great conjunction” that some have christened as an early “Christmas star” because of its occurrence hear the holiday.