Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2020 December 12
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                      Saturn and Jupiter in Summer 2020
      Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Tunc Tezel ([5]TWAN), Onur Durma

   Explanation: During this northern summer Saturn and Jupiter were both
   near opposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth's sky. Their
   [6]paired retrograde motion, seen about every 20 years, is followed
   [7]from 19 June through 28 August in this panoramic composite as they
   wander together between the stars in western Capricornus and eastern
   Sagittarius. But this December's skies find them drawing even closer
   together. Jupiter and Saturn are now close, bright celestial beacons in
   the [8]west after sunset. On solstice day December 21 they will reach
   their magnificent [9]20 year Great Conjunction. Then the two largest
   worlds in [10]the Solar System will appear in Earth's sky separated by
   only about 1/5 the apparent diameter of a Full Moon.

                    Tomorrow's picture: Phaethon's brood
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [26]Specific rights apply.
              [27]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [28]ASD at [29]NASA / [30]GSFC
                           & [31]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2012/SaJu2020Lb.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. http://www.twanight.org/tezel
   5. http://www.twanight.org/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011220.html
   7. https://vimeo.com/460088099
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201208.html
   9. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/great-jupiter-saturn-conjunction-dec-21-2020
  10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201211.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=201212
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201213.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  31. http://www.mtu.edu/