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Credit & Copyright: Giorgia Hofer
Explanation:
Saturn and Jupiter are getting closer.
Every night that you go out and check for the next two months,
these two bright planets will be even closer together
on the sky.
Finally, in mid-December, a
Great Conjunction
will occur -- when the two planets will appear only 0.1
degrees apart -- just one fifth the
angular diameter of
the
full Moon.
And this isn't just any
Great Conjunction --
Saturn (left)
and
Jupiter (right)
haven't been
this
close since
1623,
and won't be nearly this close again until 2080.
This celestial event is quite easy to see -- already the two
planets are easily visible
toward the southwest just after sunset -- and already they are remarkably close.
Pictured, the astrophotographer and partner eyed the planetary duo above the
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
(Three Peaks of
Lavaredo) in the
Italian
Alps about two weeks ago.
Follow:
Live coverage of today's
OSIRIS-REx
attempted touchdown-and-go on asteroid
Bennu
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Saturn - Jupiter
Publications with words: Saturn - Jupiter
See also: