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As winter solstice arrives, 'great conjunction' to form 'Christmas star.' Here's what to expect in North Texas

Mainly clear skies will be around the area Monday evening into the night, but some passing clouds are not impossible.

The "great conjunction" peaks this evening, so what will viewing look like in North Texas?

Timing

Sunset is around 5:23 p.m., so you have to wait for it to get dark for the best viewing of the "great conjunction." That will happen around an hour after sunset, but you may be able to see it before then.

Also the farther you get outside of the city lights, the better.

You definitely want to get out and look as early as you can, because the planets will be setting in the night sky. They will dip below the horizon around 7:40 p.m., so if you wait until after then you will not see anything.

RELATED: ‘Christmas Star’ will be visible during rare celestial event on the winter solstice

Where to look

Look to the southwest sky not terribly high above the horizon. Jupiter and Saturn will look like one bright star or two stars very close to each other.

If you have a pair of binoculars, that may help you distinguish between the two planets.

RELATED: The longest night of 2020 will feature the year's final meteor shower

Weather

No rain is expected and temps will be in the 60s to 50s during the evening.

Credit: WFAA
Temps will start in the 60s falling into the 50s through the evening.

However, there is reason to be concerned about some passing high-level clouds. These clouds will be thin and mainly across southern areas of North Texas, but any clouds could obstruct viewing.

Credit: WFAA
Some clouds could stream into North Texas this evening.

Areas south of the Dallas-Fort Worth area may have to contend with some clouds. So even if the Dallas-Fort Worth area is clear overhead, clouds to the southwest could cause problems.

Hopefully, the clouds stay well to the south or are very thin, so most places are able to get a good viewing.

RELATED: The winter solstice, and how you can watch Monday's 'great conjunction'

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