The Great Conjunction of 2020..
 

Hope for clear sky December 21st. Jupiter and Saturn will put on a show for skygazers that hasn't been seen in roughly 800 years.

Astronomers are calling it the Great Conjunction of 2020. On December 21 — coincidentally the winter solstice — the two largest planets in our solar system will appear to almost merge in Earth’s night sky.

During the event, Jupiter and Saturn will sit just 0.1 degrees apart, or a mere one-fifth the width of the Moon.

Jupiter and Saturn will be so close that you will be able to fit them both in the same telescopic field of view. That’s an incredibly rare occurrence.

The last time Jupiter and Saturn were this close together was in 1226 A.D., at a time when Genghis Khan was conquering large swaths of Asia, and Europe was still generations away from the Renaissance.

is there an optimum viewing time window? i'm near Detroit.

About an hour after sunset. Look to the southwest.

Some say this type of event was the "Star of Bethlehem" that guided the 3 Kings. Computer models don't quite line up - they show this event having occurred 3 B.C. Rounding error?:dunno:

I imagine with a telescope this was great to see, not so much with the naked eye though for me. I thought it would be much brighter. It may have been, depending on what part of the world you're observing from? Plus the city lights effect.