Here’s an event you’ll want to share with your students before the holiday break!
On December 21st, Jupiter and Saturn will appear as a double planet! Their orbits will bring them closer together than they’ve been in centuries. This phenomenon is called a conjunction, and when it involves the two largest planets in our solar system, it’s coined a “great conjunction.” From our viewpoint on Earth, the planets will seem to be on top of each other.
I’ve rounded up a few resources you can use to introduce this to your students. There are probably many more on kid-friendly astronomy sites, so I’ll be adding to this post as I find them.
The video below is a kid-friendly introduction to cosmic conjunctions and includes a simulated view showing what to expect to see from Earth on December 21st.
A FEW FACTS TO SHARE
- Conjunctions occur when any two celestial objects are very close together. This one is special because it’s the closest Jupiter and Saturn have been to each other in centuries.
- You can watch Jupiter and Saturn move closer and closer together from now through December 21st.
- Even though they will be the closest they’ve been in centuries, Jupiter and Saturn will still be hundreds of millions of miles apart.
SPACE MATH
If you’re looking for math problems that relate to astronomy, NASA’s SPACE MATH “offers over 1000 math problems that reveal the many ways math and science work together to help us understand the universe,” everything from asteroids to galaxies to black holes!
These math problems found on the site are perfect for demonstrating how and why planetary conjunctions occur.
If you’d like to use this as an opportunity to explain more about the orbits of planets, THIS LESSON demonstrates how the Sun’s gravitational pull on planets influences their orbits.
FOR KID-ASTRONOMERS
In the video below, Lance Lucero, Product Manager for Astronomy at Celestron, gives another great explanation of conjunctions and the great conjunction of December 2020. Students who are really into astronomy will enjoy his tips on how to get the best viewing of the great conjunction, and I love that he shares how he became hooked on astronomy!
The video below might also be helpful. There is a great connection made in answering the question at the end of the video!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
“A Magnified View of Jupiter and Saturn at Conjunction” EarthSky.org
“Worlds Align This Winter Solstice: Look for Jupiter, Saturn in Skies This December” U.S.A. Today
Distances Between Planets – ThePlanets.org
If you have other resources you can recommend, let me know and I will add them here! Enjoy the GREAT CONJUNCTION!