Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2020 December 12

                      Saturn and Jupiter in Summer 2020
           Image Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel (TWAN), Onur Durma

   Explanation: During this northern summer Saturn and Jupiter were both
   near opposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky. Their paired
   retrograde motion, seen about every 20 years, is followed from 19 June
   through 28 August in this panoramic composite as they wander together
   between the stars in western Capricornus and eastern Sagittarius. But
   this December's skies find them drawing even closer together. Jupiter
   and Saturn are now close, bright celestial beacons in the west after
   sunset. On solstice day December 21 they will reach their magnificent
   20 year Great Conjunction. Then the two largest worlds in the Solar
   System will appear in Earth's sky separated by only about 1/5 the
   apparent diameter of a Full Moon.

                    Tomorrow's picture: Phaethon's brood
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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