Great conjunction
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A Great Conjunction (also known as a Grand Conjunction) is a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. The last Great Conjunction took place on May 31, 2000, while the next one will be in late December of 2020. Great Conjunctions take place regularly, every 18-20 years, as a result of the combined ~12-year orbital period of Jupiter around the Sun, and Saturn's ~30-year orbital period. The 2000 conjunction fell within mere weeks after both had passed conjunction with the Sun, and it was very difficult to observe without visual aid because the two planets rose only 30-45 minutes before sunrise, depending upon the location of the observer.
Great conjunctions have been used by calendar makers throughout many cultures and eras to help refine and build calendars[citation needed].
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[edit] Greatest conjunction
Greatest conjunction is a conjunction of the Jupiter and Saturn at or near their opposition to the Sun. In this scenario, Jupiter and Saturn will occupy the same position in right ascension on three separate occasions over a period of a few months.
The so-called "Star of Bethlehem" — appeared in 6 BC — was theorized to be a greatest conjunction; and some went so far as to assert that it was an occultation of Saturn by Jupiter, with the two planets appearing to merge into a single object as seen from Earth. The next occultation of Saturn by Jupiter will take place in 7541 AD.
There is no obvious period for the occurrence of greatest conjunctions: the last greatest conjunctions took place in 1682/83, 1821 (only in right ascension), 1940/41 and 1981, while the next one will take place in the year 2238/39.
[edit] Great Conjunctions in Right ascension between 1800 and 2100
| Date | Time UTC | Planet | Angle distance | Planet | Elongation to sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 21st, 1802 | 03:22:00 | Jupiter | 42' south of | Saturn | 37,9° East |
| June 25th, 1821 | 00:05:09 | Jupiter | 1°15' north of | Saturn | 67,5° West |
| November 22nd, 1821 | 23:49:55 | Jupiter | 1°20' north of | Saturn | 140,2° East |
| December 23rd, 1821 | 09:28:49 | Jupiter | 1°22' north of | Saturn | 108,5° East |
| January 25th, 1842 | 22:22:31 | Jupiter | 32' south of | Saturn | 26,8° West |
| October 25th, 1861 | 15:11:20 | Jupiter | 52' south of | Saturn | 43,1° West |
| April 22nd, 1881 | 11:58:20 | Jupiter | 1°18' north of | Saturn | 1,0° East |
| November 28th, 1901 | 06:10:38 | Jupiter | 27' south of | Saturn | 38,6° East |
| September 14th, 1921 | 16:22:08 | Jupiter | 1°02' south of | Saturn | 6,2° East |
| August 15th, 1940 | 13:18:42 | Jupiter | 1°15' north of | Saturn | 97,5° West |
| October 11th, 1940 | 23:17:26 | Jupiter | 1°17' north of | Saturn | 155,0° West |
| February 20th, 1941 | 19:14:02 | Jupiter | 1°21' north of | Saturn | 67,7° East |
| February 18th, 1961 | 14:42:37 | Jupiter | 14' south of | Saturn | 34,6° West |
| January 14th, 1981 | 07:58:37 | Jupiter | 1°09' south of | Saturn | 103,9° West |
| February 19th, 1981 | 07:12:10 | Jupiter | 1°09' south of | Saturn | 141,2° West |
| July 30th, 1981 | 21:32:22 | Jupiter | 1°12' south of | Saturn | 57,9° East |
| May 31st, 2000 | 10:13:27 | Jupiter | 1°11' north of | Saturn | 16,9° West |
| December 21st, 2020 | 13:48:52 | Jupiter | 6' south of | Saturn | 30,3° East |
| November 5th, 2040 | 13:19:46 | Jupiter | 1°14' south of | Saturn | 24,8° West |
| April 10th, 2060 | 09:01:25 | Jupiter | 1°09' north of | Saturn | 39,8° East |
| March 15th, 2080 | 08:29:24 | Jupiter | 6' north of | Saturn | 43,8° West |
| September 24th, 2100 | 01:40:38 | Jupiter | 1°18' south of | Saturn | 25,1° East |
[edit] Great Conjunctions in ecliptical longitude between 1800 and 2100
| Date | Time UTC | Planet | Angle distance | Planet | Elongation to sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 17th, 1802 | 22:57:00 | Jupiter | 39' south of | Saturn | 40,6° East |
| June 19th, 1821 | 16:56:57 | Jupiter | 1°10' north of | Saturn | 63,3° West |
| January 26th, 1842 | 06:16:53 | Jupiter | 32' south of | Saturn | 27,1° West |
| October 21st, 1861 | 12:27:02 | Jupiter | 48' south of | Saturn | 39,7° West |
| April 18th, 1881 | 13:35:59 | Jupiter | 1°13' north of | Saturn | 3,1° East |
| November 28th, 1901 | 16:37:33 | Jupiter | 26' south of | Saturn | 38,2° East |
| September 10th, 1921 | 04:13:03 | Jupiter | 57' south of | Saturn | 9,7° East |
| August 8th, 1940 | 01:13:20 | Jupiter | 1°11' north of | Saturn | 90,9° West |
| October 20th, 1940 | 04:42:14 | Jupiter | 1°14' north of | Saturn | 164,0° West |
| February 15th, 1941 | 06:36:25 | Jupiter | 1°17' north of | Saturn | 72,9° East |
| February 19th, 1961 | 00:07:18 | Jupiter | 14' south of | Saturn | 34,9° West |
| December 31st, 1980 | 21:17:24 | Jupiter | 1°03' south of | Saturn | 90,9° West |
| March 4th, 1981 | 19:14:36 | Jupiter | 1°03' south of | Saturn | 155,9° West |
| July 24th, 1981 | 04:13:35 | Jupiter | 1°06' south of | Saturn | 63,8° East |
| May 28th, 2000 | 15:56:27 | Jupiter | 1°09' north of | Saturn | 14,9° West |
| December 21st, 2020 | 18:37:31 | Jupiter | 6' south of | Saturn | 30,1° East |
| October 31st, 2040 | 12:02:47 | Jupiter | 1°08' south of | Saturn | 20,8° West |
| April 7th, 2060 | 22:36:24 | Jupiter | 1°07' north of | Saturn | 41,9° East |
| March 15th, 2080 | 01:49:55 | Jupiter | 6' north of | Saturn | 43,5° West |
| September 18th, 2100 | 22:50:40 | Jupiter | 1°13' south of | Saturn | 29,4° East |
[edit] See also
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