Great conjunction 866991 203296166 2008-04-04T14:46:39Z Steve Crossin 4466297 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/65.91.21.4|65.91.21.4]] ([[User talk:65.91.21.4|talk]]) to last version by 89.242.193.42 A '''Great Conjunction''' (also known as a '''Grand Conjunction''') is a [[Astronomical conjunction|conjunction]] of the planets [[Jupiter (planet)|Jupiter]] and [[Saturn (planet)|Saturn]]. The last Great Conjunction took place on [[May 31]], [[2000]], while the next one will be in late December of [[2020]]. Great Conjunctions take place regularly, every 18-20 years, as a result of the combined ~12-year orbital period of Jupiter around the Sun, and Saturn's ~30-year orbital period. The 2000 conjunction fell within mere weeks after both had passed [[Astronomical conjunction|conjunction]] with the Sun, and it was very difficult to observe without visual aid because the two planets rose only 30-45 minutes before sunrise, depending upon the location of the observer. Great conjunctions have been used by [[calendar]] makers throughout many cultures and eras to help refine and build calendars {{Fact|date=July 2007}}. == Greatest conjunction == '''Greatest conjunction''' is a conjunction of the Jupiter and Saturn at or near their [[astronomical opposition|opposition]] to the [[Sun]]. In this scenario, Jupiter and Saturn will occupy the same position in [[right ascension]] on three separate occasions over a period of a few months. The so-called "[[Star of Bethlehem]]" — appeared in 6 BC — was theorized to be a greatest conjunction; and some went so far as to assert that it was an [[occultation]] of Saturn by Jupiter, with the two planets appearing to merge into a single object as seen from [[Earth]]. The next occultation of Saturn by Jupiter will take place in 7541 AD. There is no obvious period for the occurrence of greatest conjunctions: the last greatest conjunctions took place in 1682/83, 1821 (only in [[right ascension]]), [[1940]]/[[1941|41]] and [[1981]], while the next one will take place in the year [[2238]]/[[2239|39]]. ==Great Conjunctions in Right ascension between 1800 and 2100== {| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" |- bgcolor="#ddddff" align="center" valign="top" ! Date ! Time UTC ! Planet ! Angle distance ! Planet ! Elongation to sun |- | July 21st, 1802 | 03:22:00 | Jupiter | 42' south of | Saturn | 37,9° East |- | June 25th, 1821 | 00:05:09 | Jupiter | 1°15' north of | Saturn | 67,5° West |- | November 22nd, 1821 | 23:49:55 | Jupiter | 1°20' north of | Saturn | 140,2° East |- | December 23rd, 1821 | 09:28:49 | Jupiter | 1°22' north of | Saturn | 108,5° East |- | January 25th, 1842 | 22:22:31 | Jupiter | 32' south of | Saturn | 26,8° West |- | October 25th, 1861 | 15:11:20 | Jupiter | 52' south of | Saturn | 43,1° West |- | April 22nd, 1881 | 11:58:20 | Jupiter | 1°18' north of | Saturn | 1,0° East |- | November 28th, 1901 | 06:10:38 | Jupiter | 27' south of | Saturn | 38,6° East |- | September 14th, 1921 | 16:22:08 | Jupiter | 1°02' south of | Saturn | 6,2° East |- | August 15th, 1940 | 13:18:42 | Jupiter | 1°15' north of | Saturn | 97,5° West |- | October 11th, 1940 | 23:17:26 | Jupiter | 1°17' north of | Saturn | 155,0° West |- | February 20th, 1941 | 19:14:02 | Jupiter | 1°21' north of | Saturn | 67,7° East |- | February 18th, 1961 | 14:42:37 | Jupiter | 14' south of | Saturn | 34,6° West |- | January 14th, 1981 | 07:58:37 | Jupiter | 1°09' south of | Saturn | 103,9° West |- | February 19th, 1981 | 07:12:10 | Jupiter | 1°09' south of | Saturn | 141,2° West |- | July 30th, 1981 | 21:32:22 | Jupiter | 1°12' south of | Saturn | 57,9° East |- | May 31st, 2000 | 10:13:27 | Jupiter | 1°11' north of | Saturn | 16,9° West |- | December 21st, 2020 | 13:48:52 | Jupiter | 6' south of | Saturn | 30,3° East |- | November 5th, 2040 | 13:19:46 | Jupiter | 1°14' south of | Saturn | 24,8° West |- | April 10th, 2060 | 09:01:25 | Jupiter | 1°09' north of | Saturn | 39,8° East |- | March 15th, 2080 | 08:29:24 | Jupiter | 6' north of | Saturn | 43,8° West |- | September 24th, 2100 | 01:40:38 | Jupiter | 1°18' south of | Saturn | 25,1° East |} ==Great Conjunctions in ecliptical longitude between 1800 and 2100== {| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" |- bgcolor="#ddddff" align="center" valign="top" ! Date ! Time UTC ! Planet ! Angle distance ! Planet ! Elongation to sun |- | July 17th, 1802 | 22:57:00 | Jupiter | 39' south of | Saturn | 40,6° East |- | June 19th, 1821 | 16:56:57 | Jupiter | 1°10' north of | Saturn | 63,3° West |- | January 26th, 1842 | 06:16:53 | Jupiter | 32' south of | Saturn | 27,1° West |- | October 21st, 1861 | 12:27:02 | Jupiter | 48' south of | Saturn | 39,7° West |- | April 18th, 1881 | 13:35:59 | Jupiter | 1°13' north of | Saturn | 3,1° East |- | November 28th, 1901 | 16:37:33 | Jupiter | 26' south of | Saturn | 38,2° East |- | September 10th, 1921 | 04:13:03 | Jupiter | 57' south of | Saturn | 9,7° East |- | August 8th, 1940 | 01:13:20 | Jupiter | 1°11' north of | Saturn | 90,9° West |- | October 20th, 1940 | 04:42:14 | Jupiter | 1°14' north of | Saturn | 164,0° West |- | February 15th, 1941 | 06:36:25 | Jupiter | 1°17' north of | Saturn | 72,9° East |- | February 19th, 1961 | 00:07:18 | Jupiter | 14' south of | Saturn | 34,9° West |- | December 31st, 1980 | 21:17:24 | Jupiter | 1°03' south of | Saturn | 90,9° West |- | March 4th, 1981 | 19:14:36 | Jupiter | 1°03' south of | Saturn | 155,9° West |- | July 24th, 1981 | 04:13:35 | Jupiter | 1°06' south of | Saturn | 63,8° East |- | May 28th, 2000 | 15:56:27 | Jupiter | 1°09' north of | Saturn | 14,9° West |- | December 21st, 2020 | 18:37:31 | Jupiter | 6' south of | Saturn | 30,1° East |- | October 31st, 2040 | 12:02:47 | Jupiter | 1°08' south of | Saturn | 20,8° West |- | April 7th, 2060 | 22:36:24 | Jupiter | 1°07' north of | Saturn | 41,9° East |- | March 15th, 2080 | 01:49:55 | Jupiter | 6' north of | Saturn | 43,5° West |- | September 18th, 2100 | 22:50:40 | Jupiter | 1°13' south of | Saturn | 29,4° East |} ==See also== *[[Triple conjunction]] [[Category:Astronomical events]] [[Category:Astrometry]] [[Category:Astrological aspects]] {{astronomy-stub}} [[de:Große Konjunktion]]