NEW YORK — Astronomers are calling it the Great Conjunction of 2020. On December 21 — coincidentally the winter solstice — the two largest planets in our solar system will appear to almost merge in Earth's night sky. <br /><br />Jupiter and Saturn will get so close in the sky that they will almost appear to merge with one another. Such a conjunction has not occurred for almost 800 years. <br /><br />During the event, these two shiny gas giants will sit just 0.1 degrees apart, or a mere one-fifth the width of the Moon. <br /><br />The sight will likely leave many casual observers wondering "What are those large, bright objects so close together in the sky?" <br /><br />In fact, Jupiter and Saturn will be so close that you will be able to fit them both in the same telescopic field of view. <br /><br />That's an incredibly rare occurrence. The last time Jupiter and Saturn were this close together was in 1226 A.D., at a time when Genghis Khan was conquering large swaths of Asia, and Europe was still generations away from the Renaissance. <br /><br />The next Great Conjunction will occur in 2080. Of course, many of us won't be around then, so it would be wise to soak in this show while you can.
