Rare, spectacular triple conjunction gracing the skies this weekend

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Just in case you missed the great conjunction last month, when the two largest planets in our solar system – Jupiter and Saturn – appeared to be within 1/10 of a degree of each other, there’s another spectacular spectacle to be seen this weekend: The Triple conjunction .

Despite the fact that Jupiter and Saturn are now drifted about 1 degree apart, they still remain quite close from the perspective of the human eye.

And now Mercury is coming to the event. It will be in the same 2-degree sky as the two other planets this weekend, Forbes reports.

Saturday and Sunday, the three planets – Jupiter at its brightest and Saturn at its dimmest – will form a small triangle in the sky just after sunset (from wherever you are in North America).

Make sure you have a seat with a view of the west-southwest horizon, as it will be a sight not to be missed – and a rare one too.

Jupiter (L) and Saturn appear about one-tenth of a degree apart during an astronomical event known as a Great Conjunction on December 21, 2020. The planets, which are about 450 million miles apart in space, are not that close appeared together from Earth’s vantage point since 1623, and it has been nearly 800 years since the alignment occurred at night. The conjunction, which happened by chance on the night of the winter solstice, has become popularly known as the “poinsettia”. It is not until 2080 that the gas giants will appear so close together. (2020 Getty Images)

Although not as spectacular as the other nights, the triple business cycle will also be visible on Friday and Monday.

In preparation for the event, plan to be in a low-down position; think of a third floor of a building or higher, where you can definitely see the horizon. And nothing should obstruct your view. Binoculars are also useful.

Enjoy the views as they won’t even last two hours after the sun sets, according to Forbes.

And because of where the planets exist in relation to the Earth and the Sun, Jupiter and Saturn will slowly move towards the Sun and begin to fall behind its brilliance on January 23.

But because our solar system is so amazing, by February 13 the planets will emerge from behind the sun to form another triple conjunction, but at that point, just before sunrise. Pretty cool, isn’t it?

Will you pull out the binoculars this weekend?

Enjoy watching!

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