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A rare planetary alignment could create a “Christmas star” similar to the one said to have guided the three wise men.
Saturn and Jupiter will come the closest they have done in hundreds of years, creating a “spectacular event in the sky” on Monday on the winter solstice.
While the planets remain millions of miles apart in space- to the naked eye on Earth they will appear as one bright eye object.
While conjunctions - where objects appear very close to each other in the sky - are not rare, this will be the closest since 1623.
Because of its appearance this year on the winter solstice, it is being described as the 'Christmas Star' in reference to the story of Jesus' birth.
The solstice is also the longest night of the year - giving people a greater chance of seeing the spectacle.
Professor Michael Burton said the biggest planets in the solar system will be just 0.1 degrees apart, one-fifth the diameter of the full moon, and appear as the brightest object in the sky.
Prof Burton, the director of Armagh Planetarium and Observatory in Northern Ireland, added: “When that [the 1623 conjuction] happened it was daytime.
“The last one which actually would have been well placed to be seen was 1226, 800 years.”
He said a conjunction is one possibility for what has become known as the Christmas Star from the story of Jesus’ birth.
NASA Planetary Science Division astronomer Henry Throop described the phenomenon.
"You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium," he said.
"From our vantage point, we'll be able to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21."
"Conjunctions like this could happen on any day of the year, depending on where the planets are in their orbits," Prof Throop explained.
"The date of the conjuction is determined by the positions of Jupiter, Saturn and the Earth in their paths around the sun, while the date of the solstice is determined by the tilt of Earth's axis."
How to view the Star of Bethlehem
The advice to see the rare event is to look to the south west as soon as possible after sunset.
You should be watching by about an hour after sunset - since the planets will set below the horizon quickly, according to Space.com's advice.
The planets will remain in close alignment for a few days from December 21, and will remain easily visible to the naked eye when looking toward the southwest just after sunset.
Space.com assures the phenomenon is so bright it should be able to be seen with the naked eye, even from within cities where there is a lot of light pollution.
Binoculars or a telescope should enable viewers to see Jupiter's four large moons.
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