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 15

               Great Conjunction: Saturn and Jupiter Converge
             Illustration Credit & Copyright: Sebastian Voltmer

   Explanation: It's happening. Saturn and Jupiter are moving closer and
   will soon appear in almost exactly the same direction. Coincidentally,
   on the night of the December solstice -- the longest night of the year
   in the north and the longest day in the south -- the long-awaited Great
   Conjunction will occur. Then, about six days from now, Saturn and
   Jupiter will be right next to each other -- as they are every 20 years.
   But this juxtaposition is not just any Great Conjunction -- it will be
   the closest since 1623 because the two planetary giants will pass only
   1/10th of a degree from each other -- well less than the apparent
   diameter of a full moon. In the next few days a crescent moon will also
   pass a few degrees away from the converging planets and give a
   preliminary opportunity for iconic photos. The featured illustration
   shows the approach of Saturn and Jupiter during November and December
   over the French Alps.

    Growing Gallery: Notable images of the Great Conjunction submitted to
                                    APOD
                       Tomorrow's picture: meteor sky
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
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