FINAL SPACE SHOW OF 2020

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December 21 marked the final space show of the year. Saturn and Jupiter met for the first time in 20 years in what is known as the Great Conjunction. Take a look at this breathtaking sight.

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Jupiter and Saturn, the fifth and sixth planets from the Sun... When viewed from the Earth, the two appear to be close to each other at a 0.1 degree angle. The distance between the two planets appears to be just one-fifth the moon's diameter. When seen with the naked eye, they seem to be almost side by side. The orbital periods of Jupiter and Saturn are 11.9 years and 29.5 years, respectively. Once in every 20 years they pair up in the great conjunction. The final space show of 2020 took place on the evening of December 21 after sunset. Despite the clouds, it was visible to the naked eye in some regions of Korea.

[Soundbite] JEON YOUNG-BEOM(KOREA ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE) : "If it happens too close to the Sun, we can't see it. It's also quite rare for the distance between the two planets to be just one-fifth the size of the moon."

More space shows are expected next year. The total lunar eclipse, when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, is set to take place on May 26 while the partial lunar eclipse is expected on November 19. The solar eclipse, which was seen almost every year in Korea thus far, will be impossible to see for nearly a decade starting next year.

[Soundbite] JEONG HAE-IM(KOREA ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE) : "In 2021 we will see the top-three meteor showers -- the Quadrantids in January, the Perseids in August, and the Geminids in December."

The great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn presented us with a spectacular view, once again serving as a reminder of Mother Nature's mysteriousness and the magnificence of the universe.