Winter Solstice 'Christmas Star': When To Look Up On Long Island

LONG ISLAND, NY — All eyes will be on the sky Monday as Jupiter and Saturn come together to form the "Christmas Star," an occurrence so rare it hasn't happened for centuries.

The event is the same day as the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Sunset on Long Island is at about 4:25 p.m. and partly cloudy skies are expected. The planets will be most visible just after sunset to the southwest.

The last time Jupiter and Saturn were this close together was in 1623, according to NASA.

NASA gave tips on how to see the Christmas Star:

• Find a spot with an unobstructed view of the sky, such as a field or park. Jupiter and Saturn are bright, so they can be seen even from cities.
• An hour after sunset, look to the southwestern sky. Jupiter will look like a bright star and be easily visible. Saturn will be slightly fainter and will appear slightly above and to the left of Jupiter until Dec. 21, when Jupiter will overtake it and they will reverse positions in the sky.
• The planets can be seen with a person's eyes, but with binoculars or a small telescope, a person may be able to see Jupiter’s four large moons orbiting.

In 1623, when Jupiter and Saturn traveled across the sky, Jupiter caught up to and passed Saturn in the astronomical event known as the "Great Conjunction," according to NASA. Although the conjunction between the Jupiter and Saturn happens about every 20 years, this year, it holds great importance because Jupiter and Saturn will be just one-tenth of a degree apart from a viewer's perspective or about one-fifth the width of a full moon, according to NPR.

"I think it's fair to say that such an event typically may occur just once in any one person's lifetime," Vanderbilt University's David Weintraub, an astronomy professor, told NPR.

On the North Fork, there will be a Christmas Star viewing event at Santa's Christmas Tree Farm LI in Cutchogue. For more information, click here.

The event, held fireside at the farm, is hosted by Paula DiDonato of the Giving Room, Christmas Tree Farm LI owner Stacy Soloviev, Heidi Fokine and Julie Hannon.

"As 2020 comes to a close, the solar system has decided to grace us with a cosmic Christmas miracle that hasn't been witnessed in nearly 800 years...Astrologically, the movement of Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto all portend a time of great upheaval and a new paradigm in the Age of Aquarius – a time of collaboration, community and compassion," DiDonato wrote on Facebook.