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Science

Saturn – Jupiter: Double Planet

Saturn – Jupiter: Double Planet

Jupiter and Saturn forms “Double Planet” for the first time since Middle Ages, on December 21st. Astronomically this event is called as “Great Conjunction”

Solar System’s two gas giants Jupiter and Saturn appeared close together in the night sky. This is after a long time since 1226 CE. These two planets travel together across the sky all the year. But they came closer in the sky than they have appeared in two decades.

You can see them over the first three weeks in December in the South-West direction in one hour after sunset. On 21st December, they appeared very close. You can see them using binoculars, telescope or even with naked eye if you observe closely.

We watched Jupiter and Saturn from Dubai around 6:00 in the evening. I could even catch them with a Digital Camera but they appeared very small compared to watching them with a basic Telescope.

This sort of alignment occurs every 20 years in this century. The Orbits of Earth, Jupiter and Saturn periodically align making them appear closer looking from Earth. The next alignment as close as this year is expected to be in 2080.

Read more about this Great Conjunction here

Source picture shared by my friend

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Born and brought up in Kerala, I did my schooling in Kerala and graduated (B.Sc Physics) from the Calicut University. I have worked with a Swedish Company from 1994 to 2015, as a Senior Project Manager in their Group IT Division in Dubai. This blog is the result of my strong desire to communicate with others, sharing what I know and what I could gather from various sources.

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