The extremely rare “Christmas Star” will shine bright tonight, for the first time in 800 years. A rare conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn give the illusion of a single point of light. According to Nasa, the star will be most visible tonight about one hour after 5:00 pm sunset and will be visible toward the southwest sky throughout Mississippi. Also, tonight is the winter solstice, the shortest day and the longest darkest night of the year.
Tips from Nasa to See The Christmas Star
For those who would like to see this phenomenon for themselves, here’s what to do:
- Find a spot with an unobstructed view of the sky, such as a field or park. Jupiter and Saturn are bright, so they can be seen even from most cities.
- An hour after sunset, look to the southwestern sky. Jupiter will look like a bright star and be easily visible. Saturn will be slightly fainter and will appear slightly above and to the left of Jupiter until December 21, when Jupiter will overtake it and they will reverse positions in the sky.
- The planets can be seen with the unaided eye, but if you have binoculars or a small telescope, you may be able to see Jupiter’s four large moons orbiting the giant planet.
