When to view the “Christmas Star” in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Every 20 years or so, the orbits of Saturn and Jupiter line up to give a treat to those who observe from Earth – seeing the two planets close together in the night sky. This year, however, the “big conjunction” gets a little extra hype for a few reasons.

The first is that this year’s conjunction will be the closest “union” of the two planets from 1623. When the phenomenon reaches its maximum on Monday, December 21, the two planets will appear only 0.1 ° away. For reference, this is about one-fifth of the apparent diameter of the moon!

It is also a happy coincidence that the conjunction reaches the peak of Christmas week – which has led many to nickname the conjunction as “Christmas Star” or “Star of Bethlehem”.

So how can you see this rare event in and around San Antonio Christmas Week? Here are some tips:

• Look southwest about 40-45 minutes after sunset. This is calculated around 18:20 – 18:25
• Although the phenomenon reaches its peak on Monday, December 21, the best night to watch will actually be Sunday, 20. We will have clear skies on Sunday night, while on Monday night there may be clouds.
• The conjunction will be visible until the week of Christmas. However, every night after Monday, the planets will be visible closer to sunset – making it harder to see.
• The weather should be a little cool every night. For more on the forecast, see our weather page!

RELATED: The rare “Christmas Star” will light up the sky at the winter solstice