The planets Jupiter and Saturn are heading for the closest conjunction since the 1600s. A conjunction is a line of sight phenomena. The orbits of Jupiter and Saturn are in reality separated by a vast distance but occasionally they line up with the Earth and appear to be as one when viewed with the naked eye. They will be at their apparent closest on the 21st of December 2020. These two gas giant planets will provide good views for a few days before and after, so why not have a look? Binoculars or a small telescope will provide even more interesting observations with Jupiter's Galilean Moons being on display. To see this conjunction you will require an unobstructed western horizon. The planets will drop below the horizon and will be unobservable shortly after sunset, so from the UK you need to be ready at about 5:00pm. Take care to wait for the Sun to set before using binoculars or a telescope, otherwise you will PERMANENTLY DAMAGE YOUR EYES and you could lose your sight.
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