Catch The Rare ‘Triple Conjunction’ In Skies Over Utica, Rome, Syracuse

If you thought the 'Christmas Star' was a big deal over the skies of Utica, Rome, Syracuse, and the rest of Central New York, get ready for another amazing sight called the Triple Conjunction.

A rare celestial event will occur when Jupiter, Saturn, and Mercury will be within a couple of degrees from one another in the night sky. According to NASA, you'll be able to see this event Friday January 8th, through Monday January 11th.

The planet Mercury will appear to pass first by Saturn and then by Jupiter as it shifts away from the horizon, visible each evening low in the west-southwest and setting before evening twilight ends"

The three planets will be in the same two degrees of the sky in the Capricorn constellation. The event can be seen by looking for Jupiter first, then spotting Saturn and Mercury. Jupiter will be the brightest of the trio. You may need binoculars to catch some of the planets.

"find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset" to see these planets, starting stargazing no less than 45 minutes after sundown."

According to Fox News, after this weekend the trio will form a triple conjunction on February 13th 2021, just before Valentine's Day. The next two triple conjunctions are set for April 20th, 2026 (Mercury, Mars, Saturn) and June 16th, 2028, when Mercury, Venus and Mars make up the event.

Will The Weather Play "Nice" For This?

Here in Central New York, will Mother Nature play nice and let us see this event? Here's a look at the weather forecast from the National Weather Service:

FRIDAY NIGHT- Mostly clear, with a low around 10.

SATURDAY NIGHT- Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15.

SUNDAY NIGHT- A slight chance of snow showers after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15.

So, as of right now, Friday night might be best to view this event.