Winter Solistice great conjunction in India

Winter Solistice great conjunction in India

Google on Monday celebrated the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the rare conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn with a doodle, in collaboration with Nasa.December 21 marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, but in 2020 the longest night of the year is also going to be a proof to an incredible attractive event known as the “great conjunction”."As Earth’s Northern Hemisphere hunkers down for winter and its longest night of the year, it seems Jupiter and Saturn have decided to put on little bit unusual show for the world to see," The two largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will nearly overlap to form a “double planet,” an event that has not been easily visible since the Middle Ages almost 800 years ago.This rare double planet sighting or “Great Conjunction” can be viewed from anywhere around the globe.Based on their orbits, from our vantage point on Earth, Jupiter and Saturn will cross within 1 degrees of each other. 

This is once in a lifetime collaboration has been recreated in the Doodle artwork where we see an animated Saturn high-five Jupiter as it goes along its orbit.While the two planets will appear to be close but in reality the two gas giants will actually remain a vast distance of approximately 450 million miles apart.If you are interested in watching the “Great Conjunction” on the longest night of the year, find a spot with an unblocked view of the sky, such as a field or park.

An hour after sunset, Jupiter will look like a bright star and be easily visible in the southwestern sky. Saturn will be slightly  hazy will appear slightly above and to the left of Jupiter until December 21, when Jupiter will overtake it and they will reverse positions in the sky.You can also use binoculars, but the planets can still be seen with the unaided eye.