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The December 21 appointment with winter solstice, and not only. The longest night of the year will come in the company of a rare and unmissable spectacle of the sky: one great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn, which has not been seen since the time of Galileo (here we tell you about this incredible astronomical event).

Winter solstice, date and time in 2020

In 2020, reports the Italian Amateur Astronomers Union (Uai), the winter solstice falls on December 21 all 10 and 02 minutes: in our hemisphere, the time when the Sun will reach the point of minimum height with respect to the equator, marking the beginning of the cold season.

The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year for all places in the northern hemisphere and the longest for those in the southern hemisphere. On 21 December a Roma, will register 9 hours and 7 minutes of light, a Milan 8 hours and 46 minutes.

Winter solstice, what happens and the meaning

The December solstice marks the transition from autumn to winter and coincides with the day when the sun reaches, in its apparent motion along the ecliptic, the point of maximum or minimum declination.

It is the highlight of the Polar Night near the Arctic, but it is also the limit beyond which the days get longer again. This is why in history it has always represented the victory of light over darkness, a magical moment, like the summer solstice, celebrated all over the world by festivals, rites and monuments.

READ ALSO: Northern lights: the most beautiful photos of the year

Winter solstice, how it is celebrated in the world: from ancient Rome to Stonehenge

In ancient Rome i Saturnali they were celebrated every year, from 17 to 23 December, in honor of Saturn, the god of the golden age, when men lived happy, in abundance and equality. There was the custom of exchanging greetings and gifts.

Then, the emperor Aureliano instituted the cult of Invincible sun, of the invincible sun, on the day of December 25: a celebration that is intertwined with the Christmas of Christianity.

In Germanic and Celtic tradition the winter solstice coincided with the feast of Yule: fires were lit, he feasted. The mistletoe as a symbol of Christmas would also seem to derive from Yule. But also in India, China and Japan, as in Iran, in December there are still celebrations linked to the winter solstice.

And then there is Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, where thousands of people gather every year on the day of the solstice.

Discover in the gallery all the parties of the longest night around the world.

Winter solstice 2020 and the great conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn

This year on December 21st, immediately after the first sunset of winter, Jupiter and Saturn will appear so close to us that we observe them from the Earth, as to appear as a single very bright planet. And the Great Conjunction, announced by their approach for months. Astral or planetary kiss is the poetic definition and it is a phenomenon that occurs approximately every 20 years.

But these encounters in the sky are not all the same. A conjunction as close as the one expected for 21 December 2020 has not been repeated since 1623. Before that she had seen herself in 1226. The next? March 15, 2080.

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How to see the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

The extraordinary proximity of Jupiter and Saturn (astronomers speak of a tenth of a degree, 1/5 of the diameter of the Full Moon) will be an illusion, a perspective effect.

The two planets remain a 733 million kilometers away. But from the Earth, as early as mid-December according to experts, the gradual approach of the two giants can be followed in December.

Jupiter and Saturn will continue to approach until December 21, arriving at the minimum distance between them at dusk of the solstice. In order not to miss the show, it will be necessary to choose an observation point, free of obstacles, and turn your gaze towards South West: Jupiter and Saturn will appear low on the horizon, the show will be staged between 5pm and 7pm.

READ ALSO: The Moon revealed in every detail: here is the beautiful 85 megapixel photo

Weather permitting, the conjunction will be visible to the naked eye, in this case the two planets will appear superimposed, to those who observe the sky with a telescope or binoculars they will seem to dance next to each other, distinct.

Do you want to know more about the great conjunction? Scroll through the photos in the gallery

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