All is calm, all is bright: Rare ‘Christmas Star’ will be visible again in 2020! Here’s your forecast for viewing!

Jupiter (left) and Saturn will appear to form a single star in the night sky on the 2020 winter equinox. (Credit: NASA/GSFC)

It has been 800 years since we were last able to see the Star of Bethlehem!

by: Brooke Laizer

Posted: Dec 15, 2020 / 06:07 PM EST

Updated: Dec 15, 2020 / 06:09 PM EST

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Next week, we can watch one phenomenon on Monday that has not occurred in 800 years: The ‘Christmas Star’ will be visible for the first time since 1623.

December 21 will mark an annual Winter Solstice or your shortest day, longest night of 2020 plus something so much less common known as a conjunction.

This is what happens when any two planets, Jupiter and Saturn here, appear close together from Earth, much like what happened during Christmas Eve evening before Jesus’ birth.

Viewing opportunities will be best right around 6:40 p.m. locally, shortly beyond sunset. Fortunately, our forecast looks ideal by Monday afternoon after yet another cold front clears out.

Conditions remain clear with temperatures approaching upper 40s – lower 50s at that point area-wide.