您现在的位置是:百科 >>正文

【】

百科3919人已围观

简介On Monday night, a truly rare astronomical event will occur: Jupiter and Saturn will align in what N ...

On Monday night, a truly rare astronomical event will occur: Jupiter and Saturn will align in what NASA's calling the "great conjunction."

Jupiter and Saturn align in the sky once every two decades, according to NASA. Why are they calling this a great conjunction, then? For one, it's been nearly 400 years since the two planets will appear this close to each other in the sky. To us, it'll look like they're a tenth of a degree apart; NASA said that at arm's length, a pinky finger could cover both planets.

A "great conjunction" occurred in July 1623 but it was impossible for humans to see because it was so close to the sun, according to the Associated Press.

That's not all, though. This conjunction is so special because it's been nearly 800 years since since Jupiter and Saturn's alignment occurred at night — so this time, we can see it happen. "What is most rare is a close conjunction that occurs in our nighttime sky," Vanderbilt University astronomy professor David Weintraub explained to AP.


Prime Day deals you can shop right now

Products available for purchase here through affiliate links are selected by our merchandising team. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
  • iRobot Roomba Essential Vac Q011 Robot Vacuum Cleaner—$159.99(List Price $249.99)

  • Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet—$142.49(List Price $219.99)

  • Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$168.99(List Price $249.00)

  • Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker With 6-Months Membership—$99.95(List Price $159.95)

  • Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$279.99(List Price $399.00)


Mashable Light SpeedWant more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Thanks for signing up!

The unaided eye will be able to see the planets very close together, even though in actuality they're millions of miles apart in space. NASA broke down how you'll be able to see this once-in-800-years occurrence on Monday, Dec. 21:

  • Find an unobstructed view of the sky, such as at a park. Don't worry, city-dwellers — Jupiter and Saturn are so bright, NASA estimates you'll be able to view the conjunction from most cities.

  • Look at the sky in the southwest direction an hour after sunset. "Jupiter will look like a bright star and be easily visible," NASA explains. "Saturn will be slightly fainter and will appear slightly above and to the left of Jupiter until Dec. 21, when Jupiter will overtake it and they will reverse positions in the sky."

  • If you have binoculars or a telescope, you may be able to see Jupiter's four large moons!

"I think it's fair to say that such an event typically may occur just once in any one person's lifetime," Weintraub told AP, adding: "And I think 'once in my lifetime' is a pretty good test of whether something merits being labeled as rare or special."

Indeed, a conjunction this close won't occur again until 2080 — so set your timer for an hour after sunset Monday night.

UPDATE: Dec. 19, 2020, 1:18 p.m. EST An earlier version of this post incorrectly referred to the "great conjunction" at several points as the "great conjecture."

Related Video: Facts about space that will rock your world

Tags:

相关文章

  • There's a big piece of fake chicken stuck to this phone case

    百科

    If the perfect smartphone case signals a bit about who its owner is, then this silicon fried chicken ...

    百科

    阅读更多
  • 辣椒對身體有什麽危害

    百科

    辣椒是我們平常經常吃的調味品,尤其是日常飲食不可缺少的東西 ,像拌涼菜或者是吃麵食的時候,少了辣椒食物即使味道在好,看起來也會讓人覺得沒有食欲,適當的吃一些辣椒對於身體還有很多好處,可以促進血液的循環 , ...

    百科

    阅读更多
  • 剖腹產多久可以吃紅糖

    百科

    紅糖水在平時是一種很受歡迎的飲品 ,尤其是對於女性來說 ,紅糖水不僅可以補血補氣,還能在來月經的時候緩解肚子疼 ,很多生產後的女性也會在產後喝一些紅糖水,幫助惡露從身體中排出去,不管是剖腹產的女性還是順產的 ...

    百科

    阅读更多