The evening sky over the Northern Hemisphere was a treat for stargazers providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on Monday as the solar system’s two biggest planets, Jupiter and Saturn appeared to meet in a celestial alignment that astronomers call the “Great Conjunction”.
To celebrate the great conjunction, Google also created an animated Doodle showing Saturn giving Jupiter a high-five as it slides on by in its solar system orbit.
The rare spectacle resulted from a near convergence of the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn that happened to coincide with the Northern Hemisphere’s winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.
The best viewing conditions on Monday were in clear skies and close to the Equator.
Astronomers suggested the best way to watch the conjunction was by looking towards the southwest in an open area about an hour after sunset.
While Jupiter and Saturn align about once every 20 years, this year’s conjunction marks the first time since 1623 that the two gas giants have passed this close to one another in our sky and nearly 800 years since skywatchers were able to witness the event at night.
The planetary alignment has also been called a “Christmas Star” since it falls on the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and only a few days before Christmas.
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The event is legendary as some have associated it with the famed Star of Bethlehem that guided the three wise men in the Bible’s Nativity story.