Editing Great conjunction (section)

=== 2020 ===

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[[File:Jupiter saturn separation 2020 Dec.png|thumb|Separation of Jupiter and Saturn around the time of the 2020 great conjunction]]

The great conjunction of 2020 was the closest since 1623<ref name="auto1" /><ref name="auto3" /> and eighth closest of the first three millennia AD, with a minimum separation between the two planets of 6.1 [[Minute and second of arc|arcminutes]].<ref name="auto3" /> This great conjunction was also the most easily visible close conjunction since 1226 (as the previous close conjunctions in 1563 and 1623 were closer to the Sun and therefore more difficult to see).<ref name="witness">{{cite web|url=https://www.wcia.com/news/witness-the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn-on-december-21st/|title=Witness the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 21st|author=Jacob Dickey|publisher=WCIA|date=6 December 2020|access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> It occurred seven weeks after the heliocentric conjunction, when Jupiter and Saturn shared the same heliocentric longitude.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hunt|first=Jeffrey L.|date=2020-09-11|title=2020, November 2: Jupiter – Saturn Heliocentric Conjunction|url=https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2020/09/11/2020-november-2-jupiter-saturn-heliocentric-conjunction/|access-date=2020-10-29|website=When the Curves Line Up|language=en}}</ref>

The closest separation occurred on 21 December at 18:20 UTC,<ref name="auto2" /> when Jupiter was 0.1° south of Saturn and 30° east of the Sun. This meant both planets appeared together in the field of view of most small- and medium-sized telescopes (though they were distinguishable from each other without optical aid).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-11 |title=2020: December 21: The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn |url=https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2019/12/11/2020-december-21-the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn/ |access-date=2020-08-11 |website=When the Curves Line Up |language=en}}</ref> During the closest approach, both planets appeared to be a binary object to the naked eye.<ref name="witness" /> From mid-northern latitudes, the planets were visible one hour after sunset at less than 15° in altitude above the southwestern horizon in the constellation of [[Capricornus]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hunt |first=Jeffrey L. |date=2019-12-11 |title=2020: December 21: The Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn |url=https://whenthecurveslineup.com/2019/12/11/2020-december-21-the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn/ |access-date=2020-08-27 |website=When the Curves Line Up |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=5 upcoming conjunctions visible in the night sky, and how to see them |url=https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/conjunctions-in-night-sky-how-see/ |access-date=2020-08-17}}</ref>

The conjunction attracted considerable media attention, with news sources calling it the "Christmas Star" due to the proximity of the date of the conjunction to [[Christmas]], and for a great conjunction being one of the [[Star of Bethlehem#Planetary conjunction|hypothesized explanations]] for the biblical [[Star of Bethlehem]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/dec/14/starwatch-christmas-star-closest-great-conjunction-400-years-jupiter-saturn|title=Starwatch: 'Christmas star' is the closest great conjunction in almost 400 years|first=Stuart|last=Clark|newspaper=The Guardian |date=14 December 2020|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>

==== Gallery ====
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File:Grosse.Konjunktion.P1080051.jpg|Photograph taken two days before closest approach with a separation of approximately 15 arcminutes.
File:Great Conjunction image photographed on December 19, 2020.jpg|Great conjunction photographed on December 19, 2020, with a {{convert|14|in|mm|order=flip|abbr=on}} SCT telescope and color CCD.
File:2020 Great Conjunction simulation by NASA, labeled, 2020-12-21 2215UTC.jpg|Simulated best-case scenario view through a telescope.
File:Saturn—Jupiter—Conjunction.jpg|Photograph of the great conjunction of 2020 taken two days before closest approach with the four [[Galilean moons]] visible around Jupiter. ([[Titan (moon)|Titan]] can also be seen to the right of Saturn.)
File:KoniunkcjaJS.gif|December 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn, 130mm Bresser Messier
File:Grande congiunzione Giove Saturno 22 dicembre 2020ok.jpg|Photograph depicting the great conjunction, taken from Syracuse, Italy.
File:Great conjunction.jpg|Photograph of Jupiter and Saturn with the [[Moon]] on 16 December 2020
</gallery>