This has been far from the easiest year that we have all lived through, but if we look to the night sky tonight, we may get a glimpse of something positive to remember about 2020.
A stunning 'Christmas Star' is set to light up the night sky tonight in a celestial event which, to the naked eye, appears to be a "double planet", caused by the crossing of Jupiter and Saturn's paths.
As per the BBC, it is speculated that this event is what took place over 2,000 years ago and became known as the Star of Bethlehem.
The two planets have gradually been moving closer together for some time now, but they will reach their closes point tonight (December 21).
However, if you are based in the UK, you will have to keep a close eye on the weather if you want to catch a glimpse of what is also known as the Christmas Star.
"Any evening it's clear, it's worth grabbing a chance because the weather doesn't look great," Dr. Carolin Crawford from the University of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy told the BBC.
If a gap in the clouds appears where you are in the UK, you will be able to see both planets in the southwest sky, and you won't have to stay up late to catch a glimpse of them either, as they will be at their closest above the horizon just after sunset.
As per NASA's website, the event is known as the "Great Conjunction."
"You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium," Henry Throop, an astronomer in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said. "From our vantage point, we'll be able to be to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21."
This is the first time that Jupiter and Saturn's paths have come so close in 400 years, and it has been nearly 800 years since the event took place at night, NASA added.
If you are based in the US and want to know when to look up at the night sky, NASA has issued the same aforementioned recommendations wherever you are in the US. Just be sure to check the weather wherever you are!
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