Jupiter and Saturn Head for Closest Visible Alignment in 800 Years

[Rad]

Jupiter and Saturn Head for Closest Visible Alignment in 800 Years

On Dec. 21, Jupiter and Saturn will appear to be no more than a dime's width apart in the night sky. The last time that could be seen was in 1226.

By Michael Levenson
NY Times
Dec. 6, 2020

For months, Saturn and Jupiter have appeared to be courting, as the giant celestial bodies have gradually drawn nearer in the night sky.

Over the next two weeks, as their orbits align more closely, the planets will pull closer until they appear to be just a tenth of a degree apart - about the thickness of a dime held at arm's length, according to NASA.

The encounter, known as a great conjunction, happens about every 20 years. But this one - arriving on Dec. 21, the winter solstice - is special, astronomers said.

It will be the closest alignment of Saturn and Jupiter, the largest planets in our solar system, since 1623. But that conjunction, just 14 years after Galileo built his first telescope, was 13 degrees away from the sun, making it almost impossible to view from Earth, said Amy C. Oliver, a spokeswoman for the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian.

This one will be the closest visible encounter between the two giants since the Middle Ages, in 1226, Ms. Oliver said. The next time the planets will be this close is 2080, she said, making the event a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle for most adults.

Across the United States, the best view of the two planets coming into near-alignment will be just after sunset, in the southwestern portion of the sky.

"It's a very elegant astronomical event to watch in the night sky," said Renu Malhotra, a professor of planetary sciences at the University of Arizona. "It's a very romantic event to see these planets approaching each other."

Although best appreciated with binoculars or a telescope, the encounter should be visible to the naked eye.

Konstantin Batygin, a professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology, said he had been watching Jupiter, his favorite planet, and Saturn draw closer to one another on nightly walks with his pit bull, Bagheera.

"It's the rare astronomical event where you can appreciate the motion of the planets around the sun without being some kind of astronomer," Professor Batygin said. "You can still go outside close to Christmas and say, "˜Wow, those two planets sure are close to one another, and they aren't usually.' It's one of these rare times when the majesty of the solar system presents itself to the naked eye."

But such encounters were not always viewed so lyrically. In ancient times, people considered planetary alignments to be bad omens, portending calamity, Professor Malhotra said.

"There was reason to fear that the gods were conspiring when they got closer in the night sky," she said. "It might have ominous meaning to people on Earth."

The conjunction is the result of the orbital paths of Jupiter and Saturn coming into line, as viewed from Earth. Jupiter orbits the sun about every 12 years, and Saturn about every 29 years.

Although they will appear to be close together - resembling a bright ball or a tipped-over snowman in the sky, Ms. Oliver said - the planets will not actually be that close. In fact, they will be more than 400 million miles apart, she said.

"Jupiter and Saturn will appear as two wandering stars that are kind of right on top of one another," Professor Batygin said. "If you wait long enough, it's bound to happen, because their orbital paths intersect. But it doesn't happen that often."

Some people are calling the conjunction a Christmas star because of its arrival around the holiday.

Ms. Oliver said that on the days before and after Dec. 21, "as soon as it gets dark outside, everybody should go outside and take a look."

"For most adults, this is your one big opportunity to see this," she said. "Really young kids might get another chance. For the rest of us, it's now or never."

[Helena]

Hi Rad,

could you give your opinion relative to this transit? it seems to be quite something, specifically happening at the aquarius 0 degree that also refers to the last/zero degree of sag./cap. of the sun winter solstice (and now i see also the transiting mercury degree!, ruler of the moon nn), a double significance for endings/beginnings. Is it possible that this definitely marks the beginning of the shift to the aquarius age? This seems to be a topic no astrologer has a definite answer on.

Thank you,
Helena

[Rad]

Hi Helena,

It is not possible to link this to the beginning of the Aquarius Age. Ages are essentially determined by the First Point of Aries as measured against the constellations. There is not real beginning or ending to the Pisces constellation or the Aquarius constellation: they more or less or merged or run into one another. As such, it's just not possible to then know precisely 'when' the Pisces Age ends or the Aquarius age begins.

Relative to the conjunction itself the next 20 yrs for the planet, all the life forms on it, the nature of the atmosphere, climate, the nature or condition of the oceans, and critically important the nature of the earth itself, the soils upon it, will correlate to the decisions made by humans that affect these very structures upon which life itself depends.

Within this the very nature of the social structures, how all the various countries and their cultures, are defined by existing or evolving beliefs in such a way that are or become the causative determinants of how humans live and experience the 'reality' caused or set in motion by those determinants.  For example, how all the various resources on this Earth are distributed to humanity as a whole: Aquarius. Within this next twenty years Pluto will be moving into Aquarius in 2024 which can be experienced by all of us as increasing cataclysmic traumas linked with the distribution of resources, or climate, our oceans, the the very condition of our soils all over Earth and their ability to produce necessary foods for humanity in general if the decisions necessary to make the necessary adjustments to the existing structures in place are not made.

If the necessary decisions  are made then this can also correlate to a true Aquarian transformation  in which the new structures created allow for humanity to keep evolving and living together in balance  with not only itself, but the entirety of the whole planet.

In essence, it means for humanity to bond and work together AS ONE TEAM versus the existing reality in which humanity is currently defined as many different teams that are  competing with one another.

God Bless, Rad

[Helena]

Hi Rad,

I am now reading the precious new EA book on Ceres and it's such a wonderful resource to understand this you mention about being the one team and having the "we" conscious also refered in the book. I just wanted to mentioned that because so far for me every chapter makes me feel so grateful to the author and the school for offering this wisdom and from what you mention, spot on on the demands of time.

As for the transition of the ages i think i can finally start to understand it better, like more of soul lengthy transition. Would you think this goes hand in hand with this idea of the evolutionary states themselves are evolving and changing, perceptually i mean, has you've mentioned before, and to talk of an aquarius age of a society were the consensus is the individuated? I don't know if this makes sense... apologies if it is nonsense :-)

Thank again Rad for the time and patience you offer on answering us here,
Helena

[Rad]

Hi Helena,

Really wonderful what you are sharing about the new Ceres book by Mary Blue.

The Aquarian Age will not correspond to the consensus stage of evolution becoming the individuated stage. This takes a great length of time for that to happen, much longer than any one age. The best way to understand this is to look into what are called the YUGAS which comes from the inner understanding gained by some from India. The very best book to read about this is called THE HOLY SCIENCE by Sri Yuketswar the guru of Yogananda. Here is a link that will allow you to download it for free in PDF form: https://bibleandbookcenter.com/gets/online.php?id=irUCyAEACAAJ&item=the-holy-science

Mary also talks about the Yuga's in her book on Lilith.

God bless, Rad

[Helena]

Hi Rad and All,

Just wish to share a playful moment. Even though I am definitely on the low tech side, I decided to install one of those applications that helps locate planets in the sky to try and see today's conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, also because my nephew was very excited with the conjunction today hearing from the news, so we went to explore. Oh my... I have been feeling like a kid in the playground with this one, I will share a picture I took today of my screen from the moment of conjunction. The point is, this also suggests how much astrology (for better or worse) is going to expand with this new conjunction. It is one thing to feel the archetypes and know them and see how they are reflected in life, as JWG said "astrology can only reflect life, not cause it", other is to appear so close, even artificially, to the planets. The new generations will definitely have a different relationship with the sky and the planets I wonder how astrology will go.

Good new times everyone,

Helena

[Chocolate Astrologer]

Hola Rad, and a Happy Holidays to All!
Thanks for the link to the THE HOLY SCIENCE by Sri Yuketswar the guru of Yogananda; Unfortunately, in the country where I am located I am unable to access this free ebook. However, I found on YouTube an audible copy of the book of The Holy Science by Sri Yuketswar and I have listened to it already 3 times! Hearing the book, (with what intuit to be) proper pronunciations of the Sanskrit words described in the book has had a profound effect on me, as well as enhanced my understanding of the meaning of the Saturn/ Jupiter conjunction in Aquarius that we are experiencing now. As you know, in the book Sri Yuketswar lays out the timeline of the last Kali Yuga into the 2400 year cycle of the Dwapara Yuga we are currently experiencing. Overlaying this with the current astrological unfolding has brought much clarity.

I share the link to the YouTube free audible book here for all: https://youtu.be/ccCPUyPiLLQ

I'm curious to your opinion of the audible book version.
Kind regards and so much love ♥️
Your Chocolate Astrologer

[Rad]

Hi Chocolate Astrologer

I have never listened to the audio book. But from what you have shared about your own experience of that is just wonderful.

God Bless, Rad