Winter Solstice Sunset Celebration (and Tongue Twister)
The sunset view from the field at Forest Heights, Athens, GA.
The sun sets at 5:28 p.m. in Athens, Georgia, on the Winter Solstice this year (Monday, December 21, 2020).
Anyone in the area is welcome to join the Forest Heights community for viewing and celebration at the field located at the entrance of the neighborhood. (Thank you to Forest Heights Baptist Church, which has always been so gracious in allowing community members to enjoy the open, grassy space!)
Night Sky app shows close alignment of Jupiter and Saturn, which will appear as a single bright star on the Winter Solstice this year.
This year will be unique in that the “Christmas Star” will be visible just after sunset for the first time in 800 years. It’s actually the alignment of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, which are already getting quite close in the sky. Check out the screenshots I took of the Night Sky app on my phone when my daughter and I stopped to check it out last night.
Bring a chair, warm drink, frisbee or whatever else feels right as we turn the celestial corner on this year. Please maintain social distancing and/or wear a mask. And here’s a Facebook invite, if you want to share the invitation with friends.
