Monday, December 21, 2020

Great Conjunction and the Solstice

Jupiter and Saturn

I was planning to write a short blog post about the solstice, which occurred locally this morning around 2:00am, but upon looking up some information about it, I learned about a truly rare event that will happen in the sky tonight: the close (appearing) conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn right around sunset. On this website, I found some interesting information:

This year's great conjunction also marks the first time in nearly 800 years since the planets aligned at night and skywatchers were able to witness the event. (The 1623 conjunction wasn't visible to skywatchers on much of the Earth because of its location in the night sky, so the last time the event was visible was in 1226.) 

Wow! That's a pretty rare event, all right. And because it is happening at this time of year, it is also called the "Christmas Star." If you want more information about this event, just click on the above link from Space.com

The winter/summer solstice happens annually, marking the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer south of the Equator. After today, our nights will slowly begin to shorten, and by the end of January, we'll be able to notice the difference. 

I love to pay attention to the sky, when there's actually a chance to see something other than rain pouring out of it. We're in the middle of a real gully washer right now, but it's supposed to stop and give us some sunshine for a few days. Do you know that phrase? Of course I looked it up:

When it rains in Oklahoma it mean rains you can drown in with your raincoat on. Oklahoma is where the gully washer was invented. Oklahoma is home of the original frog strangler. 

Oboy. Now I'm wondering about "frog strangler," but I'm going to leave it alone. This could go on forever!

:-) 

17 comments:

  1. We had cloud (and very welcome rain) last night so I missed seeing it here.
    I am glad that it went ahead anyway - without my participation.
    And yes, I did know the phrase gully washer - and wondered where I learnt it. And of course I had to look up frog strangler. Eeeuw. That is wet.

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  2. To me, the Winter Solstice is the big one - when the days start getting longer.

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  3. I was lucky enough to see that Christmas star or Bethlehem star, quite a sight !
    I'm a sky watcher also, my dad used to take me out in the garden at night and look for shooting stars, I would have started about four years old 😁
    Jo

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  4. I like the history of what the ancients knew and believed about the solstice.

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  5. With no hope of seeing the Christmas star, we at least did something Nordic for the solstice. The kids and Tom and I cooked. We made Fatigmand and lefse. I guess I'll need to get a post out.

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  6. I drove out to the corner to see it and took a photo. I was expecting it to be brighter. But I was glad I made the effort to see it. Happy Winter now onto Spring! Frog Strangler...I have heard of that!

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  7. I went out after dinner and watched it. Tho with the naked eye it looked only to be one star, I could see it "break apart" into the two planets as Saturn rushed thru the night sky. It was phenomenal to watch!

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  8. We were able to see it here also... not well and not as one, but as 2 and it was very low in the sky. But I wished on it anyway!

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  9. I didn't pay attention to it, doggone it. I should have. I don't even know if there was a cloud cover.

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  10. gully washer...frog strangler...?? Goodness!

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  11. We had clouds, no stars. But I trust they're up there!

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  12. I'll be looking for the Christmas star tonight and hope to catch it!

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  13. Wow! Gully washer? I've never heard that one. Our friend in Japan once told us a long time ago after coming to school in Illinois that he couldn't understand why it would be raining cats and dogs. Didn't have a good answer for him then.

    I hope you'll get to see the planets sometime.

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  14. This conjunction signals a paradigm shift. That's my take, as an astrologer.

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  15. I forgot...darn and I was out walking the dog...........

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  16. Hi DJan, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and SG. John

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