CHRISTMAS STAR

JACKSON, MI --Snow showers added a little holiday spirit as people welcomed the Christmas season to town with the Jackson Christmas Parade on Friday. Tedric Gibbs and his wife Victoria have been coming to the parade for 16 years. They both grew up in Jackson, and now love bringing their 2-year-old daughter. “Its always a great family experience,” Gibbs said, “We always look forward to seeing the bands and the pyrotechnics.”For Andrea Wynn-Chatfield and her family, the parade is an opportunity to celebrate Christmas, and support local businesses. “It’s really close knit,” said Wynn-Chatfield about the Jackson community.

bright floats -- and of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus -- will fill the streets of downtown Jackson for the 2022 Jackson Christmas Parade. This year’s theme is “Christmas Star,” said Ed Hatfield, Downtown Jackson Christmas Parade committee chairman. Music, lights and the usual appearance from Santa and Mrs. Claus at the end can be expected. “We’ve already heard from Santa and Mrs. Claus and they’re excited,” Hatfield said. More information and updates for the 2021 parade can be found on the Downtown Jackson Christmas Parade’s Facebook page.

Last December, the “Christmas Star” was the big sky event that was drawing lots of attention. But this month the buzz is focused on another cosmic holiday treat — the “Christmas Comet.”The newly discovered comet, officially called Comet C/2021 A1 but also known as Comet Leonard, is being billed as the brightest comet of the year, and some experts say it can be seen from anywhere in the United States and other parts of the northern hemisphere.

A similar planetary conjunction may have been what gave rise to the phenomenon of what some call The Star of Bethlehem or The Christmas Star. But the LRO probe on the moon had no such problem. “The LROC NAC captured this view just a few hours after the point of closest separation (0.1°) between the two giant planets. With the sharp focus ... you can see that the two planets are actually separated by about 10 Jupiter diameters,” the LRO staff said on its blog. “The constant motion of the planets means that the moment that Jupiter and Saturn appear closest is fleeting; a day later (22 December) you can look up and see the two planets already appear farther apart.

DETROIT – If the weather cooperates, something very special will be visible on the winter solstice this Monday night -- the “Star of Bethlehem,” also known as the “Christmas Star.”Despite the names, it’s actually not a star at all. Since Jupiter orbits the sun every 12 years and Saturn orbits the sun every 30 years, the two largest planets in the solar system don’t line up very often. The two gas giants will cross paths in the night sky on the winter solstice on Monday, Dec. 21. Though the planets are 450 million miles apart, to the naked eye, they will appear as one bright light in the sky. To view the Christmas Star, turn your gaze toward the southwest sky a little after sunset on Monday, Dec. 21.

With this year’s winter solstice comes more than just confirmation of our already-cold weather and ever-fleeting daylight: The rare “Christmas Star” will be visible for the first time in 800 years. Each year, Earth’s northern hemisphere enters the winter solstice on Dec. 21 -- the shortest day of the year -- officially marking the start of winter. This year, bright planets Jupiter and Saturn will align perfectly on Dec. 21 to create what is commonly called the Christmas Star or the “Star of Bethlehem.”According to NASA, Jupiter and Saturn align with one another every 20 years or so, but not nearly as close together as they will be in 2020. Experts say the Christmas Star can be seen by the unaided eye just after sunset on Dec. 21, 2020. You can see Saturn and Jupiter nearly align on Dec. 21, forming what appears to be a Christmas star.

Jupiter and Saturn will align in the night sky on Dec. 21 in an event astronomers call the " great conjunction " — also referred to as the "Christmas Star" — marking the planets' closest encounter in nearly 400 years. The planets will be closest to each other in the sky on Dec. 21, appearing only a tenth of a degree apart. Coincidently, this year's great conjunction also falls on the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. How to see itOn Dec. 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will appear just one-tenth of a degree apart, in an event known as a "great conjunction." Leading up to the Dec. 21 conjunction, Saturn will appear slightly above and to the left of Jupiter.

Our Christmas cookie Spirit Scale recipes have picks for the gleeful and the Grinches. Click on the links below to discover our Christmas Cookie Spirit Scale recipes and find the full baking instructions! Christmas Cookie Spirit Scale rating: 8A chocolatey cookie envelopes a maraschino cherry all topped off with zigzags of white chocolate for a one-of-a-kind holiday sweet treat. Christmas Cookie Spirit Scale rating: 7Youre already familiar with the classic frosted type of sugar cookie. Christmas Cookie Spirit Scale rating: 2If youre too harried to embark on a baking marathon, reach for your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe with a Christmas M&M twist.