How Far Will Jupiter be from Saturn at the conjunction?

about one billion miles
But this year’s conjunction will put the two planets closer together than they have been since 1623. The two planets will only seem close to each other, but are millions of miles apart. Jupiter will be about 550 million miles from Earth while Saturn will be about one billion miles away.

How far apart are Jupiter and Saturn at their closest?

At their closest, Jupiter and Saturn will be only 0.1 degree apart.

What time is the closest approach of Jupiter and Saturn?

The planets Jupiter and Saturn will make a close approach, passing within 4°41′ of each other. From Mountain View, the pair will be visible in the dawn sky, rising at 00:45 (PST) and reaching an altitude of 32° above the southern horizon before fading from view as dawn breaks around 05:38.

How close will Jupiter Saturn come today?

Despite appearing super close, Jupiter and Saturn will actually be more than 450 million miles (730 million km) apart. Earth, meanwhile, will be 550 million miles (890 million km) from Jupiter. A telescope will not only capture Jupiter and Saturn in the same field of view, but even some of their brightest moons.

Where do I look to see the Christmas star?

“This will still be quite a striking sight, but you will need to look fast as both planets will set shortly after sunset,” the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s website says. Those looking to see the “star” will want to look above the southwestern or western horizon after sunset, experts said.

How often do Saturn and Jupiter align?

approximately every 20 years
A great conjunction is a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, when the two planets appear closest together in the sky. Great conjunctions occur approximately every 20 years when Jupiter “overtakes” Saturn in its orbit.

Where can I watch Jupiter and Saturn conjunction?

Shortly after sunset, in the Northern Hemisphere, look into the southwestern sky and you should see the duo shining brightly. Hold your pinkie finger at arm’s length once you spot the spot and that should be enough to block out Jupiter and Saturn, which are 11 and nine times the diameter of Earth, respectively.

Can I see great conjunction with naked eyes?

What’s a great conjunction? Jupiter and Saturn are the two largest planets visible to the naked eye, hence the expression ‘Great Conjunction’. These two align roughly every 20 years, which is relatively rare compared to the alignments of planets closer to the Sun (and which consequently have shorter orbits).

Can we see great conjunction with naked eyes?

Jupiter and Saturn are bright, so they can be seen even from most cities. You do not need special equipment to witness the phenomenion as the planets can be seen with the naked eye, however if you have binoculars or a small telescope, you may be able to see Jupiter’s four large moons orbiting the giant planet.