Look For The Christmas Star In Pennsylvania On Winter S First Day

Stand back, first day of winter. Another major event – one that’s more than eight centuries in the making – is about to take away your thunder. That’s right. The first day of winter 2020 will feature another first: a Christmas Star in Pennsylvania that will light up the nighttime sky.

Mark your calendars for December 21, 2020, the first day of winter. That’s when the once-in-a-lifetime Christmas Star will appear in the nighttime sky. It hasn’t been seen since 1226 AD and won’t be seen again until 2080.

Flickr/Kevin Burkett

The good news is, no matter where you live in Pennsylvania, you’ll have a coveted front-row seat to the nighttime show of the Christmas Star.

Flickr/Ryan Hallock

While it’s earned the named Christmas Star, the bright light in the sky isn’t actually a star at all. Rather, it’s a bright light that will occur when Saturn and Jupiter sit .01-degree from each other, according to Astromony.com.

Flickr/Eden, Janine and Jim

The close proximity of the two planets, also called a conjunction, means they will be so bright and so close together, you can view them with the naked eye.

Flickr/Jolynn Martinez

However, if you do use a telescope, you’ll be able to see the two planets in even greater detail, including Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moons – Europa, Io, Callisto, and Ganymede.

Flickr/Stephen Rahn

You can head outdoors any time after sunset on December 21, 2020, to see the two planets glowing in the sky. However, if you gaze up at the nighttime sky beginning at 7:04 p.m. and for about 3.5 hours, you should be able to see the moon Ganymede cross in front of Jupiter.

Flickr/Lunar and Planetary Institute

You can also view this magical celestial event online at Astronomy.com.

Flickr/Giuseppe Donatiello

Will you go outside to see the magical Christmas Star in Pennsylvania this first day of winter? Let us know in the comments! On the lookout for more magical things to do this holiday season? Plan a trip to Wellsboro, which boasts the most enchanting Main Street in Pennsylvania.