7 awe-inspiring photos show Jupiter and Saturn as 'double planet' in Great Conjunction

Ryan W. Miller and Wyatte Grantham-Philips, USA TODAY
·1 min read

Stargazers have been getting a holiday treat this year as Jupiter and Saturn are appearing closer together than they have been since the Middle Ages, an astral phenomenon called the "Great Conjunction."

As some have dubbed it the "Christmas star," a conjunction occurs when two objects in space appear closer together when viewed from Earth. The last time Jupiter and Saturn came this close was 1623, but it wasn't visible down here.

“You’d have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky," Rice University astronomer Patrick Hartigan told USA TODAY earlier this month.

Read more on how to view the conjunction: Jupiter and Saturn will look like a 'double planet'

While the conjunction peaked on Dec. 21, the two planets will still appear closer than the diameter of a full moon until Dec. 25.

Here are seven photos of the awe-inspiring phenomenon:

Planets Jupiter and Saturn are seen during the great conjunction from the Griffith Observatory on the same day as the winter solstice, December 21, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
Planets Jupiter and Saturn are seen during the great conjunction from the Griffith Observatory on the same day as the winter solstice, December 21, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
People are silhouetted against the sky at dusk as they watch the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Edgerton, Kan.
People are silhouetted against the sky at dusk as they watch the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, in Edgerton, Kan.
Jupiter and Saturn appear about one-tenth of a degree apart.
Jupiter and Saturn appear about one-tenth of a degree apart.
The Great Conjunction is seen above Mt. Tamalpais on December 21, 2020 in Larkspur, California.
The Great Conjunction is seen above Mt. Tamalpais on December 21, 2020 in Larkspur, California.
A statue atop a half-scale replica of Seville, Spain's La Giralda Tower stands in the foreground as Saturn and Jupiter are seen after sunset Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo.
A statue atop a half-scale replica of Seville, Spain's La Giralda Tower stands in the foreground as Saturn and Jupiter are seen after sunset Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo.
The planets can be seen together off Fort Myers Beach.
The planets can be seen together off Fort Myers Beach.
Jupiter and Saturn seen to the left of The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod on December 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jupiter and Saturn seen to the left of The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod on December 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Christmas star: Jupiter, Saturn Great Conjunction in stunning photos