Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn 12/21/2020 [Archive]

dado potato

12-4-20, 7:57pm

Slightly to the left above the spot on the horizon where the sun went down, in the darkening night sky, see 2 bright dots (Jupiter and Saturn). They will appear closer together every night until 12/21, when they will appear to be 0.1 degree apart (in effect, the double planet "Jupiturn").

I understand that the last time there was a Great Conjunction like this was in the year 1226.

Tybee

12-4-20, 8:05pm

Slightly to the left above the spot on the horizon where the sun went down, in the darkening night sky, see 2 bright dots (Jupiter and Saturn). They will appear closer together every night until 12/21, when they will appear to be 0.1 degree apart (in effect, the double planet "Jupiturn").

I understand that the last time there was a Great Conjunction like this was in the year 1226.

So cool!

Tradd

12-4-20, 8:24pm

They’re calling it the Christmas Star on the news here.

bae

12-4-20, 9:49pm

Oh nice!

Tammy

12-4-20, 9:52pm

I love this. I started using an app (Star Tracker Lite) and I confirmed my sighting of Jupiter and Saturn tonight with it. They look like tiny moons when I zoom in on the simple iphone photo I took. I've enjoyed astronomy for years, but never had time for it really. Now with more free time and this app, I feel like I'm just getting started in it ...

CathyA

12-5-20, 9:39am

Thanks for posting this. I'll check it out tonight!

nswef

12-5-20, 10:59am

I'll do so, too. Thank you Dado!

happystuff

12-5-20, 11:38am

Very cool! One of my kids and I are always out looking for the various events - comets, moons, etc. Will definitely be looking! Thanks for the info.

KayLR

12-5-20, 1:29pm

oh! I hope the sky isn't cloudy tonight! Thanks for the heads-up!

dado potato

12-5-20, 2:25pm

As our eyeballs and telescope lenses aim at those two planets approaching & kissing like a couple of billiard balls, way out in space,

I think: We are the the world. We are the children.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTK84KEDMW8

Be Well.

CathyA

12-5-20, 4:46pm

I love watching the night sky, but the development not far from here is ruining it. In the past, I actually saw the northern lights a couple times. So cool! And we were able to watch the Hale-Bopp comet for the month it was visible. We'd see it in one area in the late evening, and a different area in the mornings. I even got pics of it. Funny....back when we would take our film to somewhere to be developed, I went to pick the pics up and they said "there was nothing on the film". haha.......It was "just" the small comet in the darkness. I told them and they developed them, and I have some nice pics of it. I really missed it when it was gone.