‘Great Conjunction’ of Jupiter and Saturn: Here’s how to see it

Google celebrated the start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere by displaying the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on Google doodle. The doodle was made in collaboration with NASA.

The ‘Great Conjunction’ as it is being called is an event that has not happened since 1623 as Jupiter and Saturn will pass very close to each other which will not happen for another 60 years.

NASA in a statement said “The closest alignment will appear just a tenth of a degree apart and last for a few days. On the 21st, they will appear so close that a pinkie finger at arm’s length will easily cover both planets in the sky. The planets will be easy to see with the unaided eye by looking toward the southwest just after sunset”.

When to look

According to NASA, people who want to view the phenomenon should follow these steps:

Find a spot with an unobstructed view of the sky, such as a field or park. Jupiter and Saturn are bright, so they can be seen even from most cities.
An hour after sunset, look to the southwestern sky. Jupiter will look like a bright star and be easily visible. Saturn will be slightly fainter and 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.