Today’s Big Winter Solstice Consortium: Where, When, and How to Look

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This year’s Winter Solstice sees a rare celestial event – the Great Consort of Jupiter and Saturn. True to the fact that ‘every cloud has a silver lining,’ the 2020 pandemic gives us all a year-end cure. Google is also celebrating Winter Solstice and Great Conjunction with its latest doodle. You may get a glimpse of the Great Conjunction, taking place for the first time in 400 years today, without any special equipment.

December 21 marks the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, which is the shortest day and longest night of the year, also when the sun is at its highest daily rising. The exact opposite is happening in the southern hemisphere today, known as the December Solstice or Summer Solstice. The Great Alliance occurs when Jupiter and Saturn align from Earth’s point of view. This vibrant planetary connection that emerges tonight is also referred to as the ‘Christmas Star’.

What is the Big Consortium?

According to NASA astronaut Henry Throop, “You can imagine the solar system as a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own series and the Earth towards the center of the stadium. From our vantage point, we will be able to see Jupiter on the inside series, coming to Saturn all month and finally passing it on December 21st. ”

The planets constantly overlap in the solar system. The positions of Jupiter and Saturn are the same in the skies about once every 20 years. But this year’s celestial vision is particularly rare for a few reasons – it’s nearly 400 years since the two planets passed so close together in the skies. The last time it happened was in 1623, 13 years after Galileo Galilei built his first telescope, when it became known as ‘The Great Conjunction.’

It is also nearly 800 years since Saturn and Jupiter were aligned at night. The Great Conjunction takes place on the night of this year, allowing many around the world to see a spectacular event of the alignment of these bright planets in our night sky.

The Google doodle

Google has dedicated a doodle marking this square flash of software. The animated doodle shows a Google alphabet with a Google snow cap, with the double O’s shown as Jupiter and Saturn respectively. In the doodle, Saturn portrays Jupiter as an aspiring Earth with a graceful white winter cape staring at him. Scrolling the mouse over the doodle, it reads, ‘Celebrating Winter 2020 and the Great Conjunction!’. You can click on the doodle to see search results for “Winter Solstice and the Great Conjunction.” The doodle is found in India, Cambodia, Russia, most of Europe, part of Africa, and North America. The doodle ‘Celebrating Summer 2020 and The Great Conjunction’ can be seen in the southern hemisphere, with the same vibrant doodle.

How to watch the Great Coalition

As per NASA, Jupiter and Saturn would appear so close to the sky that a ‘pinkie arm at arm’s length’ would easily cover both planets in the sky. I haven’t even gone the extra mile to watch the Great Conjunction.

For those who want to see this wonder for themselves, here’s what they can do:

  • Find a place with an unobstructed view of the sky such as a park or field. Jupiter and Saturn are clear, so they can be seen even from most cities. Of course, parts of the world where the sun is out at the time of the connection (West Atlantic) will not be able to easily see the event.
  • For the rest of us, India included, look to the southwest sky an hour after sunset, just above the horizon. Jupiter will look like a bright star and will be easy to see. Saturn will be a little weaker.
  • Keep a compass app installed on your phone so you don’t get confused by the last minute instructions. If you have a real compass, great!
  • Alternatively, you can download the enhanced Sky View Lite app, such as Sky View Lite Android | iOS no and Star Walk 2 Android | iOS.
  • The planets can be seen with the unsupported eye, but if you have a telescope or a small telescope, you may see Jupiter’s four large branches orbiting the big planet as well.

When will you watch the Great Coalition

Jupiter and Saturn planetary astronomer and observer, Dr. James O’Donoghue has tweeted “the closest time to Jupiter and Saturn in the sky” on December 21st. “

According to Dr. James O’Donoghue the Great Coalition will take place in India at 11:13 pm IST. NASA has some photography tips for capturing all the astronauts looking at large views of Saturn and Jupiter tonight.

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