How to find Jupiter and Saturn
For much of the year, Jupiter and Saturn have shared the same swath of sky. The pair begin the month of December just 2 degrees apart, creating an already impressive sight. Now, you can find them both in the southwestern sky just after sunset, located some 20 degrees above the horizon at 6 P.M. local time.
By mid-month, they’ll be just one Moon-width apart. On December 16, the Moon will sit just 5 degrees away from the pair, offering a handy comparison. They’ll reach greatest conjunction on December 21.
Conjunctions happen when two celestial objects appear to pass close to one another as seen from Earth. Of course, those objects aren’t necessarily physically close, they simply look that way because of their orbital alignment.
Conjunctions are extremely common, though. Throughout the year, the Moon regularly appears alongside a number of planets and bright stars. And two or more planets come together relatively frequently. However, having two bright planets like Jupiter and Saturn pair up is extremely rare.
The last conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn happened in May 2000. That close approach in our sky occurred relatively near the Sun, which made it hard to observe. A similar thing occurred in 1623 A.D., when Jupiter and Saturn brushed shoulders near the Sun.