Look Up To See The Christmas Star In Missouri On Winter S First Day

Start counting down the days! Sure, we’ve all probably been ticking off the days until the year’s end on our calendar for months now. Before we ring in the New Year, however, we have one major celestial event to look forward to. A Christmas Star in Missouri (and around the world) will light up the night sky this December, and you don’t want to miss it.

December 21 is so much more than the first day of winter in 2020. That evening, we’ll also have front row seats to a spectacular event not seen in the nighttime sky since 1226 AD, and it won’t be seen again until 2080.

Flickr/Jo Naylor

Although it’s earned the moniker of “Christmas Star,” it’s not a star at all. Rather, Saturn and Jupiter will be so close to each other, they’ll appear as one massive star in the sky.

Mark Newman / The Image Bank / Getty Images

The two planets will be so bright and so close together – just 0.1 degree will separate them, according to Astronomy – that you won’t even need a telescope to view them.

Flickr/Eden, Janine and Jim

However, if you do have a telescope, you should be able to see incredible detail, including Europa, Io, Callisto and Ganymede, Jupiter’s Moons, and the rings of Saturn.

Flickr/Jolynn Martinez

No matter where you are in Missouri, you’ll be able to catch the celestial show, which will begin after sunset. However, from 7:04 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and for about 3.5 hours on, you can see the moon Ganymede pass in front of Jupiter.

Flickr/Stephen Rahn

If you want to read more about the upcoming Christmas star, head over to Astronomy.com. The publication will be livestreaming the event on December 21.

Flickr/Giuseppe Donatiello

Will you go outside to see this magical Christmas star in Missouri on December 21, 2020? Let us know in the comments! Are you on the lookout for more ways to make the season magical? How about checking out the Ultimate Christmastime Bucket List in Missouri?