The "Christmas Star" in Buffalo Will Be the Brightest Tonight

It's going to be a great night to see the 'Christmas Star' in Western New York! Jupiter and Saturn are going to be the closest that they have been in almost 800 years. Now, they get "close" every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is something that we have never seen in our lifetimes.

While this experience is not ACTUALLY a star, when Jupiter and Saturn are this close, it will be a very bright like that you will be able to see in Buffalo starting tonight. It is the week of Christmas, hence that is why experts are calling it a "Christmas Star".

"Alignments between these two planets are rather rare, occurring once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to one another. You'd have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226, to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky", according to CNN who received a statement from astronomer Patrick Hartigan, a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University in Houston.

The Winter solstice is today (December 21, 2020) and will be the shortest day of the year, in terms of daylight. Look for the "Christmas Star" for about a hour after the sun goes down all the way through Christmas night.