Today marks the Winter Solstice, which marks the shorted day and longest night of the year. Today is also your best chance to catch the Great Conjunction, in which Jupiter and Saturn will nearly overlap in the night sky forming a “double planer.” Some have even called it a “Christmas Star”. The last time a close conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn was seen was in 1226. Tonight is you best chance to catch the once in a lifetime event. Find a spot with an unobstructed view of the night sky. Then after sunset, roughly between 5:30 and 7:30pm look to the southwestern sky. Jupiter and Saturn are bright, so they can be seen even from most cities.
Then after midnight a meteor shower will light up the night sky! The Ursid Meteor Shower peaks tonight. NASA says the best time to catch the show is between 12:30 and 1:30 am.
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