‘Christmas Star’ to appear on Monday. How and when to see it in Missouri

Missouri-area residents will likely have the opportunity see a rare phenomenon in the night sky Monday.

Skies are expected to be clear Monday night for gazers to see the so-called “Christmas Star,” which happens when Jupiter and Saturn align. The phenomenon is being officially referred to by astronomers as a “great conjunction.”

From Earth, the planets will appear the closest they have in almost 800 years, McClatchy News reported.

What to know for Missouri

The “great conjunction” is best seen around an hour after sunset — 6 p.m. CT for the Kansas City area, according to the National Weather Service.

You’ll want to look to the southwest when trying to find the “Christmas Star.”

The weather service is projecting clear skies in the Kansas City area Monday night. You can spot the event from most places around Kansas City.

“City lights probably won’t be an issue with this event, but going somewhere where it’s a little darker can still help you see it better,” the weather service wrote on Twitter.

In southwestern Missouri, which includes Springfield, Joplin and Branson, skies are also expected to be clear, according to the National Weather Service.

The same projections extend to St. Louis, where the sunset will be around 4:40 p.m. CT. The “Christmas Star” can be seen about an hour later.

“Jupiter will look like a bright star and be easily visible,” NASA said on its website. “Saturn will be slightly fainter and will appear slightly above and to the left of Jupiter until December 21, when Jupiter will overtake it and they will reverse positions in the sky.”

This story was originally published December 21, 2020 at 1:25 PM.