Jupiter and Saturn to form rare ‘double planet’ for first time in 800 YEARS – how to see it for Christmas

JUPITER and Saturn will come so close together next month they’ll form a rare ‘double planet’ phenomenon that some are linking to doomsday.

The last time humans could observe this event was back in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago on March 4, 1226.

Before 2020 ends, a great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn ?

They’re visible tonight and every night – near each other for the rest of 2020 – an appealing and mind-expanding sight! Read more: https://t.co/DmHiB64L2U ?

Image via Dr Ski. ? pic.twitter.com/yftDpNUEPK

— EarthSky (@earthskyscience) May 24, 2020

The two planets did also come close together in the 1600s but this wasn’t said to be visible from Earth.

The celestial event is called the Great Conjunction and will be taking place on December 21 next month.

That means you’ve got plenty of time to mark it on your calendar and wish for clear skies.

Jupiter and Saturn will come just 0.06º away from each other.

Jupiter can be seen here as the bright star to the right of the image

That’s about 1/5 of the diameter of a full Moon.

To the naked eye this will look like one big bright star.

If we’re lucky enough not to have cloudy skies on December 21, the celestial event should be visible all over the world.

You’ll need to look low down in the western sky an hour after sunset and below the Capricornus constellation.

A night sky scanning app could be used to point you to the right constellation.

Remember that stargazing is best done in an open and dark place with limited light pollution.

What does Saturn and Jupiter together mean?

As if 2020 hadn’t been bad enough, some conspiracy theorists think the Saturn and Jupiter meet up could spell the end of the world.

This is due to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar.

According to the Daily Express, doomsday predictor Pastor Paul Begley said: “It will be the closest Jupiter and Saturn have been since 1623 and it won’t even come that close again for another 500 years.

“So this is so rare and it’s going to be on the winter solstice. It’s going to be on December 21, 2020.

“The Mayans are now reorganising and saying this could certainly be the end of the world as we know it.”

Of course, there is no hard evidence to suggest this is correct.

According to Astrology.com, some astrologists believe Jupiter and Saturn coming close together leads to old forms dying and new growth beginning.

What we know for sure is that some stargazers across the planet will be in for an interesting visual treat on December 21.

Saturn’s rings – what are they, and how did they form?

Here’s what you need to know…

The rings of Saturn are mostly made of water ice particles, as well as some rock debris and dust
It’s the most extensive ring system of any planet in our Solar System
The dense main rings extend from 4,300 miles away to 50,000 miles away from Saturn’s equator
They have an estimated local thickness that ranges from 10 metres to 1 kilometre
The rings are caught in a balancing act around the planet
Gravity is drawing them inwards, but the speed of their orbit wants to fling them out to space
But latest research suggests gravity is winning, with Saturn’s rings expected to disappear within 100million and 300million years
Scientists are divided on exactly how the rings of Saturn formed
One theory is that small, icy moons orbiting Saturn collided, smashing up into bits and creating rings
It’s also possible these icy moons were struck by large comets or asteroids, or were broken apart by gravity
The second popular theory is that the rings were never part of a moon, but leftover material from the formation of Saturn