December 2020

The “Star of Bethlehem,” visible this year on Dec. 21, was a lunar conjunction between the planets of Jupiter and Saturn and is the closest the two planets are to each other every few centuries. This lunar event has not occurred  since July of 1623, and it has been nearly 800 years since this event last occurred at night. Despite their apparent close proximity, the lunar bodies are actually still hundreds of millions of miles apart. This photo was taken above the boat launch on the northwest corner of Lake Cochrane by Tammy Odette of Gary.