Jupiter and Saturn are the main event in the December sky

Jupiter and Saturn are the main event in the December sky Today’s Video of the Day from NASA describes all of the incredible sights that you can see this month in the December night sky. 

One of the best meteor showers of 2020 – the Geminids – will be active from December 4th through the 17th. This event occurs each year as the Earth moves through debris that is trailing behind asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

When the shower peaks this month on the 13th, the event will be especially visible thanks to a nearly new moon. The meteors may pop up in any part of the sky, but they will appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini.

On December 21st, which is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, Saturn will appear as close to Jupiter as some of Jupiter’s moons. Jupiter and Saturn are the main event in the December sky as seen in the video above showing the sky from the dome and surrounding areas of space. Also showing the different alignments of stars in space at night.

This event is known as a great conjunction, and you can watch it magnify over the first three weeks of December. The planets will ultimately appear closer together in our sky dome than they have since the year 1623.

Video Credit: NASA

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer