December has been a treat of a month for star gazers. The night sky is beaming with celestial events and one of the rarest ones of them occurs tonight, the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. The two planets will align closest to one another, almost seeming like one to form what is called the Christmas star on December 21, the day of Winter Solstice. Even if you are not a total geek about stars and planets, watching this has to be on your list as it occurs once in 20 years. But this will be the closest the two planets will appear since 1623! If you are wondering how to watch it, the best view will be live streaming it online. Since it is such a rare occurence, several space channels including NASA will be holding a live stream for this celestial event. In here, we give you more details on how to watch it in India, live streaming timings in India and where. A phenomenon so important that even Google has dedicated a doodle for it.
In actuality, Jupiter and Saturn will be 400 million miles away from each other. However, they will create a radiant point of light in the night sky for those who watch it from the Earth. It is called as the 'Star of Bethlehem' or 'Christmas' star which has its mention in the Bible appears in the Gospel of Matthew. NASA terms it the 'greatest' of all great conjunctions between Jupiter and Saturn.
Timings of the Great Conjunction
The Great Conjunction will be visible an hour after sunset in the southwestern sky. Both the planets will be shining as bright stars and easily visible to the naked eye. In India, the phenomenon can be observed approximately between 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM tonight. Saturn will appear slightly above to the left of the Jupiter and eventually the planets will reverse the positions in the night sky.
Live Streaming of Jupiter Saturn Great Conjunction in India
NASA will be holding a live streaming of the Great Conjunction tonight. They have been holding a live session since three days, explaining the phenomenon in much detail.
Here's NASA Live Video Link:
Several other channels are also having the live streaming of this rare spectacle. Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium in Bengaluru have made arrangements to watch this celestial conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn planets on Monday. They will also share a live on their Facebook page.
Winter Solstice Great Conjunction Live:
To watch it with your naked eye, NASA recommends to find a spot which gives you an unobstructed view of the sky. You could use sky map apps to locate the planetary positions and observe them further into the night. The two planets are so bright, they can be observed from anywhere. So don't miss this beautiful celestial spectacle, as the next time such an activity will take place in 2080!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2020 12:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).