The Sight of Jupiter and Saturn Together Is a Beautiful Thing
Today, December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will appear extremely close to each other in the sky, less than a tenth of a degree apart, about one fifth the width of the full Moon.1 “Conjunctions” like this happen all the time but, for us, here on Earth, it’s special because—though the planets will still be more than a half-billion kilometers apart—from our point of view, the planets could almost touch.2
A conjunction is a good time to reflect on our cosmic heritage, and on the long shadows cast by the gas giants. After all, Jupiter and Saturn influenced Earth’s growth and evolution. Evidence suggests there were at least three occasions on which they (Jupiter especially) chose Earth’s evolutionary path, some 4.5 billion years ago, helping to shape the planet we know and love today.
The wee infant Earth was just sitting there growingSome rocky thingsBut far from the Sun, way out in the coldThe giants were stirring. A force to behold!
