Photo credit:  The Farmers Almanac.  

 

I was reading an article about the Winter Solstice in The Farmers Almanac, and came across this picture.  It shows the longest shadows at noon, caused by the angle of the sun in relation to Earth.

 

The Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere is the shortest day and the longest night of the year, and it occurs next Monday.  It's probably already on your calendar, showing the first quarter moon.  

 

This year on the Winter Solstice, December 21, 2020, we get to welcome winter with the "Great Conjunction."  The moon is near the two giant worlds of Jupiter and Saturn on the 16th and 17th.  Then Jupiter passes extremely close to Saturn from the 20th to the 22nd, coming closest on the 21st-the solstice.  These two giant planets will be so close together that they appear to merge into a single "star," and be visible with the naked eye.  

 

This phenomenon occurs every two decades, but in 2000 it was too close to the sun to be observable.  Look for it about 45 minutes after sunset near the Southwestern horizon.  We'll be out there, and I hope you will get to see it too.

 

HAPPY (almost) WINTER!!!!