TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – What’s being called the Christmas Star will shine brightly in the sky Monday night.
In fact, it’s not a star at all, but rather two planets that appear close together. This is known as a conjunction of planets.
While Saturn and Jupiter are nearly a half billion miles away, their orbits line up in a way that make them appear to be next to each other when seen from Earth. They will only appear 0.1 degree apart, and that is closer than they’ve appeared since 1226, nearly 800 years ago.
Because planets already appear brighter than most stars in the sky, the two together will create a bright spot in the sky.
For the best viewing of the phenomenon, look low in the sky to the west 10 to 45 minutes after sunset. Better viewing in large open places with less light pollution. If you wait too long after sunset, the planets will dip below the horizon. You can clearly see it with the naked eye, but a telescope will allow you to get a better look at the planets and even some of their moons.
Of the two planets, Jupiter will be the bigger and brighter one, and Saturn will be slightly dimmer and will appear just above and to the left of Jupiter.
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