Two of the biggest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will be reunited for the first time in 800 years on the longest night of the year in 2020. The winter solstice will begin on December 21; on the same day, the two planets will align. The last time the planets came together in 1226. The two planets will inch closer to each other over the next two weeks until they are only a tenth of a degree apart in the night sky. It is roughly the same thickness as a coin, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA). This phenomenon is called the ‘Christmas Star’ or the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ as Christmas is around the same time. Saturn, Jupiter and Moon Form a Celestial Triangle in Night Sky Ahead of The Conjuction, View Beautiful Pics.

Jupiter and Saturn align every 20 years or so-called the ‘great conjunction’. This year they will be coming together in December and it’s the closest the planets have been since 1623. According to NASA, it's the ‘greatest’ of all great conjunctions between Jupiter and Saturn. Astronomers will be able to see the two giant planets and their moons within the same field of by using just a telescope or a pair of binoculars.

While Jupiter and Saturn will be 400 million miles away from each other, they will create a radiant point of light in the night sky from Earth’s point of view. This will be once in a lifetime event for most people and sky lovers will never want to miss anything as beautiful as this. 'Star of Bethlehem' or 'Christmas' star mentioned in the Bible appears in the Gospel of Matthew. It mentions about "wise men from the East" who visited Jesus on the day he was born guided by a star. The star is called 'Star of Bethlehem' or 'Christmas'.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 08, 2020 05:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).