Jupiter, Saturn, and Moon to align second time this weekend, to form a triangle

Jupiter, Saturn, and Moon align for the second time this month on Friday and Saturday night -- 28th and 29th of August 2020 -- providing a treat for the stargazers and Astro enthusiasts. Stargazers from all over the globe will be out of their homes gazing at the night sky to capture Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon together. Be ready to see a perfect triangle this weekend. Read to know how to see Saturn and Jupiter's conjunction:

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Rare Celestial Alignment

Although this situation isn’t that uncommon in 2020 as the planetary bodies, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon have already aligned once earlier this month. The converging of these planets with Earth's orbit occurs around every 12 years. These massive planets and satellite might look close to each other but are actually 400 million miles apart. The conjunction will be visible high in the southern sky right after sunset. Jupiter can be spotted straight above the Moon and Saturn would be sitting a few degrees towards left, slightly less visible than Jupiter. When all are viewed together, Jupiter, Saturn, and Moon triangle should be formed.

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How to see Saturn and Jupiter Conjunction?

Those who missed the Jupiter, Saturn, and Moon triangle the first time around aren't out of luck just yet. This rare occurrence is set to take place for the second time this month. 

Jupiter and Moon conjunction

On Friday 28th August 2020, the Jupiter and Moon conjunction should be visible in the southern skies from the northern hemisphere right around midnight. The Moon should be nearly 83% illuminated by the Sun and around three days past the first-quarter phase. The Moon will be situated on the lower right corner of Jupiter, at a distance of roughly 2.25 degrees. This distance equals to 4.5 times the size of the Moon. If people are sitting with the right equipment, such as industrial grade binoculars or a telescope, the four Moons surrounding the massive planet of Jupiter should be faintly visible too.

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Saturn and Moon conjunction

On Saturday, August 29, 2020, the Saturn and Moon conjunction should be visible in the southeast skies from the northern hemisphere around midnight too. The Moon should be almost 90% illuminated by the sun and around four days past the first quarter phase. Saturn should be seen just a few degrees towards the left of the moon and can be spotted by holding your hand against the sky slightly towards the right of the moon as those few degrees would be around the size of a normal human fist. Saturn would be around 10 times less visible than Jupiter. The Jupiter, Saturn, and Moon triangle, however, won’t be visible for people in North America but should be a sight to behold for the rest of the world.

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