This Week in H’burg is a weekly column featuring photos and fun facts from local photographer Pierre Ratté. Each week we’ll feature a new photo from Ratté along with a fact about the subject matter of the photo.
Revisiting the solstice. In 2020, the winter solstice on Dec. 21 was also the day of the great conjunction. Conjunctions refer to the alignment of planets, such that they appear close together in the night sky. A ‘great conjunction’ refers to the alignment of the two largest planets in our solar system: Jupiter and Saturn. Not since July 16, 1623, 397 years ago, were Jupiter and Saturn aligned with less than 0.1 degree of arc between them. Because of their proximity, the two planets appeared as one bright star, and with its December timing some referred to the great conjunction as the ‘Christmas star.’ In less colorful prose, the alignment of planetary objects can also be called a syzygy.
Pierre Ratté posts a daily picture on Instagram, Facebook and TodayinHburg.com. He can be reached at pj*****@ic****.com. His book “100 Days Sheltering-In-Place” can be purchased at Levin’s and Copperfield’s bookstores, TodayinHburg.com or Amazon.com.
