Winter solstice marks the arrival of winter in our Northern Hemisphere, so at this time of the year I'm wishing you all a safe and pleasant season!
"When life gives you snow, make snow angels."
The year of 2020 will end with a very interesting astronomical occurrence...the closest great conjunction of two different planets is happening, when Jupiter and Saturn will almost touch in the sky.
● Additional references:
> Jupiter and Saturn converging in the night sky, shown in weekly intervals. This simulation is for New York (USA), but the great conjunction on December 21, 2020, can be seen all over the world.
> Excerpts:
- "On 12.21.2020 (the December solstice), Jupiter and Saturn will align so closely in the nigh sky that they will create a radiant point of light, some call 'Solstice Star', 'Star of Bethlehem', or the 'Christmas Star', said an expert."
- "Alignments between these two planets are rather rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another", said Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University. "You would have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226 (nearly 800 ago), to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky", said astronomer Hartigan.
> ARTICLE: "For the First Time in 800 Years, a 'Christmas Star' Will Illuminate the Skies This Month"
> ARTICLE: "The December 2020 Great Conjunction"
> ARTICLE (via "The Globe and Mail" / Canada): "How to see and photograph the great conjunction of 2020"
> ARTICLE (via "CBC News"): "Christmas Star 2020: Jupiter, Saturn to meet in rare <great conjunction>"
> ARTICLE (via "The Sun"): "Great Conjunction 2020 LIVE: Watch Jupiter & Saturn 'nearly touch' TONIGHT on winter solstice plus meteor shower"
> ARTICLE (via "International Business Times" / Science section): "Is 'Christmas Star' Visible on Winter Solstice 2020? How to Watch Great Conjunction"