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]]