Tour Annapolis Royal
Lighthouse - 245 St. George Street B0S 1A0 Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada

Alan Melanson of Explorer Guide took these photos at High Noon on the Annapolis River Causeway. www.ExploreAnnapolisRoyal.com

As 2020 draws to a close, our hearts are with everyone who has lost loved ones and been affected by COVID-19, the Nova Scotia Mass Shootings and the tragedy of ...the Chief William Saulis. Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Robert Strang, Premier Stephen McNeil and staff, our dedicated healthcare personnel, front line workers, emergency responders and all of the businesses who have worked so very hard to keep us safe while providing necessities, shopping/dining experiences and essential services. We pray for a peaceful, prosperous, happy and healthy 2021. See more

MERRY CHRISTMAS ~ The CHRISTMAS STAR was a SPECTACULAR sight to behold! These photos were taken by Explorer Guide in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia on Dec.23. The... "Great Conjunction" of Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest planets in our solar system, took place on Dec. 21, 2020. They appeared only 0.1 degrees apart. On Dec. 23, Jupiter was 552.4 million miles from earth, and Saturn was 1.008 billion miles away. It's hard to imagine that we can so easily see and photograph this rare celestial phenomenon with a phone. According to NASA, if skies are clear, it should be able to be seen low in the southwest sky until Dec. 29. The next "Great Conjunction" won't happen until Hallowe'en 2040, and the planets will not be nearly this close. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones from Explorer Guide. See more

CONGRATULATIONS to our 20 WINNERS for 2020! THANK YOU to everyone who likes our Explorer Guide Facebook Page, shopped locally, shared photos and Likes & Shares... our posts! Heather LeBlanc won an autographed copy of THE BANISHED by Alex MacLean, and our other Lucky Winners each won a $15 Gift Certificate to any HOLIDAY EXPLORER Partner Location of their choice. MERRY CHRISTMAS! www.ExploreAnnapolisRoyal.com/HolidayGuide2020/index.html See more

HO! HO! HO! ~ Go to Explorer Guide's FACEBOOK PAGE and find this original post. ADD YOUR TREE LIGHTING PHOTOS on their page. You could be one of our first 3 Holiday Explorer Winners announced on Dec. 1.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Explorer Guide and our Explorer Partners! (Page 1 of 2) www.ExploreAnnapolisRoyal.com/HolidayGuide2020/index.html

Baintons Tannery Outlet and Mad Hatter Wine Bar's annual CHRISTMAS PARTY starts at 5 pm on Friday, Nov. 27. Enjoy TAX- FREE shopping on all things cozy; enter t...o WIN prizes; warm up around the outdoor fire pit; and sip specialty mulled wine. It's always a fun and festive evening. Thanks for shopping locally! www.baintons.ca See more

The Lehman Trilogy ~ a terrific Stage to Screen production is scheduled this Sunday, Nov. 29 at King's Theatre, Annapolis Royal. For tickets and more info call 902-532-7704, drop by the box office or visit www.kingstheatre.ca

HO! HO! HO! Tree Lighting festivities for the Town of Annapolis Royal, hosted annually by the Annapolis Board of Trade, will be held this Friday, Nov. 27. Meet at Town Hall at 6 pm for cookies, hot chocolate, live Christmas music, the tree lighting and Santa's arrival.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Explorer Guide and our Explorer Partners! (Page 2 of 2) www.ExploreAnnapolisRoyal.com/HolidayGuide2020/index.html

MISSED IT? ..... THERE’S STILL TIME! ..... START LOOKING TONIGHT! .....The actual Great Conjunction when Jupiter and Saturn were the closest to each other and... almost appeared as one giant star to the naked eye took place on Dec. 21, 2020. (Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to see in AnnapolisRoyal.) According to NASA, thankfully, this celestial phenomenon of the two largest planets in our solar system appearing close to each other will LAST UNTIL APPROXIMATELY DEC. 29. SEE THE CHRISTMAS STAR ON CHRISTMAS EVE OR CHRISTMAS! ..... If the sky is clear, we're in for quite a treat! Finally something great about 2020. (The two planets won't appear as one star as they did on Dec. 21, but they will still be close. It's beautiful and very special to see.) TIME & WHERE TO LOOK.....About 45 minutes after sunset, look low in the southwest sky, approximately 15 - 20 degrees above the horizon (near where the sun set). It is NOT near the moon. If the sky is clear, Jupiter and Saturn may be seen for close to 2 hours. (On Dec. 23, it was visible for at least 2 hours.) WHAT YOU WILL SEE.....The two largest planets in our solar system will appear very close together. Jupiter is much larger and brighter than Saturn. (On Dec. 23, we held our little pinky finger in front of us at arm’s length, and the tip of our finger completely obscured them!) It was an amazing sight to behold. IMPORTANCE.....The last alignment as easy to see as this Great Conjunction of 2020 was almost 800 years ago March 4, 1226. Genghis Khan was sill Emperor of the Mongol Empire. The last time Jupiter and Saturn were this close was July 16, 1623; however, that great conjunction was not visible to most of earth because it was too close to the sun. The telescope had just been invented in 1608. NEXT CHANCE.....The next great conjunction will take place on Hallowe’en, October 31, 2040 in the pre-dawn sky. The next closest Great Conjunction to this week’s event won’t occur until March 15, 2080.