The great conjunction

Clear skies allowed for wonderful viewing of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn Monday night Dec. 21. This is the first such event since 1563. While the planets appear to be very close, they really aren't. The event is called the great conjunction, because it is the rarest conjunction, when Jupiter overtakes Saturn, that can be seen with the naked eye. The photo was taken at the Sandstone Ranch by Brian Kimball of the nonprofit Longmont Astronomical Society. To learn more about area astronomy or to make a donation to support local astronomy, visit http://longmontastro.org.