Monday night, the winter solstice, afforded the perfect pandemic attraction: staring up at the sky to see the closest alignment of Jupiter and Saturn in centuries.

Families gathered — safely, one assumes — at beaches, atop buildings, wherever they could get a good view of the southwestern horizon. The “great conjunction” was visible for a few hours after dusk before the planets, visible as two bright dots, set for the night.

They’ll still be visible until Dec. 29, distancing, but still impressive.