Editing Great conjunction (section)

== List of great conjunctions (1200 to 2400) ==

The following table<ref name="auto3" /> details great conjunctions in between 1200 and 2400. The dates are given for the conjunctions in [[right ascension]] (the dates for conjunctions in ecliptic longitude can differ by several days). Dates before 1582 are in the [[Julian calendar]] while dates after 1582 are in the [[Gregorian calendar]].

[[Ecliptic longitude|Longitude]] is measured counterclockwise from the location of the [[First Point of Aries]] (the location of the March equinox) at epoch [[J2000]]. This non-rotating coordinate system doesn't move with [[axial precession|the precession of Earth's axes]], thus being suited for calculations of the locations of stars. (In [[astrometry]] latitude and longitude are based on the ecliptic which is [[Earth's orbit]] extended sunward and anti-sunward indefinitely.) [[Equatorial coordinate system|The other common conjunction coordinate system]] is measured counterclockwise in [[right ascension]] from the First Point of Aries and is based on Earth's [[celestial equator|equator]] and the [[meridian of longitude|meridian]] of the equinox point both extended upwards indefinitely; ecliptic separations are usually smaller.

Distance is the angular separation between the planets in sixtieths of a degree ([[minutes of arc]]) and [[elongation (astronomy)|elongation]] is the [[angular distance]] from the Sun in degrees. An elongation between around −20 and +20 degrees indicates that the Sun is close enough to the conjunction to make it difficult or impossible to see, sometimes more difficult at some geographic [[latitude]]s and less difficult elsewhere. Note that the exact moment of conjunction cannot be seen everywhere as it is below the horizon or it is daytime in some places, but a place on Earth affects minimum separation less than it would if an [[inner planet]] was involved. Negative elongations indicate the planet is west of the Sun (visible in the morning sky), whereas positive elongations indicate the planet is east of the Sun (visible in the evening sky).

The great conjunction series is roughly analogous to the [[Saros series]] for [[solar eclipse]]s (which are Sun–Moon conjunctions). Conjunctions in a particular series occur about 119.16 years apart. The reason it is every six conjunctions instead of every three is that 119.16 years is closer to a whole number of years than {{sfrac|119.16|2}} = 59.58 is, so Earth will be closer to the same position in its orbit and conjunctions will appear more similar. All series will have progressions where conjunctions gradually shift from only visible before sunrise to visible throughout the night to only visible after sunset and finally back to the morning sky again. The location in the sky of each conjunction in a series should increase in longitude by 16.3 degrees on average, making one full cycle relative to the stars on average once every 2,634 years. If instead we use the convention of measuring longitude eastward from the First Point of Aries, we have to keep in mind that the equinox circulates [[axial precession|once every c. 25,772 years]], so longitudes measured that way increase slightly faster and those numbers become 17.95 degrees and 2,390 years.

A conjunction can be a member of a [[triple conjunction]]. In a triple conjunction, the series does not advance by one each event as the constellation and year is the same or close to it, this is the only time great conjunctions can be less than about 20 years apart.<ref name="auto3" />

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
! Date !! [[ecliptic longitude|Longitude]]<br />(degrees) !! [[angular distance|Distance]]<br />(arcminutes) !! [[elongation (astronomy)|Elongation]]<br />(degrees) !! Series !! Easy to see !! Triple
|-
| 16 April 1206 || 66.8 || 65.3 || +23.0 || 2 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 4 March 1226 || 313.8 || 2.1 || −48.6 || 3 || Yes || No
|-
| 21 September 1246 || 209.6 || 62.3 || +13.5 || 4 || No || No
|-
| 23 July 1265 || 79.9 || 57.3 || −58.5 || 5 || Yes || No
|-
| 31 December 1285 || 318.0 || 10.6 || +19.8 || 6 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 24 December 1305 || 220.4 || 71.5 || −70.0 || 1 || Yes || rowspan=3 | Yes
|-
| 20 April 1306 || 217.8 || 75.5 || +170.7 || 1 || Yes
|-
| 19 July 1306 || 215.7 || 78.6 || +82.5 || 1 || Yes
|-
| 1 June 1325 || 87.2 || 49.2 || −0.4 || 2 || No || No
|-
| 24 March 1345 || 328.2 || 21.2 || −52.5 || 3 || Yes || No
|-
| 25 October 1365 || 226.0 || 72.6 || −3.7 || 4 || No || No
|-
| 8 April 1385 || 94.4 || 43.2 || +58.8 || 5 || Yes || No
|-
| 16 January 1405 || 332.1 || 29.3 || +18.1 || 6 || No || No
|-
| 10 February 1425 || 235.2 || 70.7 || +104.1 || 1 || Yes || rowspan=3 | Yes
|-
| 10 March 1425 || 234.4 || 72.4 || −141.6 || 1 || Yes
|-
| 24 August 1425 || 230.6 || 76.3 || +62.6 || 1 || Yes
|-
| 13 July 1444 || 106.9 || 28.5 || −15.9 || 2 || No || No
|-
| 7 April 1464 || 342.1 || 38.2 || −52.6 || 3 || Yes || No
|-
| 17 November 1484 || 240.2 || 68.3 || −12.3 || 4 || No || No
|-
| 25 May 1504 || 113.4 || 18.7 || +33.5 || 5 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 30 January 1524 || 345.8 || 46.1 || +19.1 || 6 || No || No
|-
| 17 September 1544 || 245.1 || 69.2 || +53.4 || 1 || Yes || No
|-
| 25 August 1563 || 125.3 || 6.8 || −42.1 || 2 || Yes || No
|-
| 2 May 1583 || 355.9 || 52.9 || −51.2 || 3 || Yes || No
|-
| 17 December 1603 || 253.8 || 59.0 || −17.6 || 4 || No || No
|-
| 17 July 1623 || 131.9 || 5.2 || +12.9 || 5 || No || No
|-
| 24 February 1643 || 0.1 || 59.3 || +18.8 || 6 || No || No
|-
| 17 October 1663 || 254.8 || 59.2 || +48.7 || 1 || Yes || No
|-
| 23 October 1682 || 143.5 || 15.4 || −71.8 || 2 || Yes || rowspan=3 | Yes
|-
| 8 February 1683 || 141.1 || 11.6 || +175.8 || 2 || Yes
|-
| 17 May 1683 || 138.9 || 15.8 || +77.5 || 2 || Yes
|-
| 21 May 1702 || 10.8 || 63.4 || −53.5 || 3 || Yes || No
|-
| 5 January 1723 || 265.1 || 47.7 || −23.8 || 4 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 30 August 1742 || 150.8 || 27.8 || −10.3 || 5 || No || No
|-
| 18 March 1762 || 15.6 || 69.4 || +14.5 || 6 || No || No
|-
| 5 November 1782 || 271.1 || 44.6 || +44.9 || 1 || Yes || No
|-
| 16 July 1802 || 157.7 || 39.5 || +41.3 || 2 || Yes || No
|-
| 18 June 1821 || 27.1 || 72.9 || −62.9 || 3 || Yes || No
|-
| 26 January 1842 || 281.1 || 32.3 || −27.1 || 4 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 20 October 1861 || 170.2 || 47.4 || −39.5 || 5 || Yes || No
|-
| 17 April 1881 || 33.0 || 74.5 || +3.8 || 6 || No || No
|-
| 28 November 1901 || 285.4 || 26.5 || +38.3 || 1 || Yes || No
|-
| 8 September 1921 || 177.3 || 58.3 || +11.1 || 2 || No || No
|-
| 6 August 1940 || 45.2 || 71.4 || −89.8 || 3 || Yes || rowspan=3 | Yes
|-
| 21 October 1940 || 41.1 || 74.1 || −165.7 || 3 || Yes
|-
| 14 February 1941 || 39.9 || 77.4 || +73.3 || 3 || Yes
<!--
Source lists this as February 1940, but simulation in Stellarium shows it should be February 1941.
-->
|-
| 18 February 1961 || 295.7 || 13.8 || −34.5 || 4 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 1 January 1981 || 189.8 || 63.7 || −91.4 || 5 || Yes || rowspan=3 | Yes
|-
| 6 March 1981 || 188.3 || 63.3 || −155.9 || 5 || Yes
|-
| 25 July 1981 || 185.3 || 67.6 || +62.7 || 5 || Yes
|-
| 28 May 2000 || 52.6 || 68.9 || −14.6 || 6 || No || No
|-
| 21 December 2020 || 300.3 || 6.1 || +30.2 || 1 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 4 November 2040 || 197.8 || 72.8 || −24.6 || 2 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 8 April 2060 || 59.6 || 67.5 || +41.7 || 3 || Yes || No
|-
| 15 March 2080 || 310.8 || 6.0 || −43.7 || 4 || Yes || No
|-
| 18 September 2100 || 204.1 || 62.5 || +29.5 || 5 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 15 July 2119 || +73.2 || 57.5 || −37.8 || 6 || Yes || No
|-
| 14 January 2140 || 315.1 || 14.5 || +22.7 || 1 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 20 February 2159 || 215.3 || 71.2 || −50.3 || 2 || Yes || No
|-
| 28 May 2179 || 80.6 || 49.5 || +16.1 || 3 || No || No
|-
| 8 April 2199 || 325.6 || 25.2 || −50.0 || 4 || Yes || No
|-
| 1 November 2219 || 221.7 || 63.1 || +6.8 || 5 || No || No
|-
| 6 September 2238 || 93.2 || 39.3 || −67.6 || 6 || Yes || rowspan=3 | Yes
|-
| 12 January 2239 || 90.2 || 47.5 || +161.3 || 6 || Yes
|-
| 22 March 2239 || 88.4 || 45.3 || +89.9 || 6 || Yes
|-
| 2 February 2259 || 329.6 || 33.3 || +19.6 || 1 || {{small|Depends on observer latitude}} || No
|-
| 5 February 2279 || 231.9 || 69.9 || −80.3 || 2 || Yes || rowspan=3 | Yes
|-
| 7 May 2279 || 229.9 || 73.8 || −172.6 || 2 || Yes
|-
| 31 August 2279 || 227.2 || 74.9 || +73.3 || 2 || Yes
|-
| 12 July 2298 || 100.6 || 28.3 || −6.0 || 3 || No || No
|-
| 26 April 2318 || 339.8 || 41.8 || −51.8 || 4 || Yes || No
|-
| 1 December 2338 || 237.3 || 66.3 || −7.4 || 5 || No || No
|-
| 22 May 2358 || 107.5 || 18.5 || +50.7 || 6 || Yes || No
|-
| 18 February 2378 || 343.7 || 50.5 || +19.4 || 1 || No || No
|-
| 2 October 2398 || 240.7 || 65.9 || +58.2 || 2 || Yes || No
|}
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{Bar chart|float=left
| title = Number of events 1200–2400 by closeness
| data_max = 22
| label_type = Angular distance
| data_type = Number of conjunctions
| label1 = 0 to 10 arcmin | data1 = 5
| label2 = 10 to 20 arcmin | data2 = 8
| label3 = 20 to 30 arcmin | data3 = 7
| label4 = 30 to 40 arcmin | data4 = 5
| label5 = 40 to 50 arcmin | data5 = 10
| label6 = 50 to 60 arcmin | data6 = 8
| label7 = 60 to 70 arcmin | data7 = 16
| label8 = 70 to 78.6 arcmin | data8 = 16
| label9 = over 78.6 arcmin | data9 = 0
}}
{{Col-2}}
{{Bar chart|float=left
| title = Number of events 1200–2400 by elongation
| data_max = 22
| label_type = Elongation
| data_type = Number of conjunctions
| label1 = −180 to −135 degrees | data1 = 4
| label2 = −135 to −90 degrees | data2 = 1
| label3 = −90 to −45 degrees | data3 = 15
| label4 = −45 to 0 degrees | data4 = 17
| label5 = 0 to +45 degrees | data5 = 22
| label6 = +45 to +90 degrees | data6 = 12
| label7 = +90 to +135 degrees | data7 = 1
| label8 = +135 to +180 degrees | data8 = 3
}}

{{Bar chart|float=left
| title = Number of events 1200–2400 by triplicity
| data_max = 54
| label_type = Type of set
| data_type = Number of conjunctions
| label1 = Part of a triple conjunction | data1 = 21
| label2 = Single conjunction | data2 = 54
}}
{{Col-end}}
{{clear}}