Jupiter, Moon Align in Christmas Skywatching Treat

Jupiter, Moon Align in Christmas Skywatching Treat

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As darkness falls on Christmas night, check out the east-southeast sky. Shining brilliantly to the upper left of the bright, nearly full moon will be a silvery “star” with a steady glow. But that’s not a star, or Santa returning to the North Pole. Rather, it’s the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter, serving as a sort of holiday ornament with Earth’s nearest neighbor to cap off a year of interesting skwyatching events.

As viewed from the eastern and central United States, the moon and Jupiter will appear closest together during the late afternoon or early evening hours on Tuesday Dec. 25. From New York, they’ll be closest together at 6:25 p.m. EST; from Chicago, it’ll be 5:18 p.m. local time.