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Posted by: JRehling Dec 22 2020, 05:59 AM

I assume that anybody here has heard about this by now. It's still a worthwhile sight in the evenings to come. I got photos of it on the three nights of closest approach, and by mixing in a long exposure for Saturn's moons (counterclockwise: Rhea, Tethys, Dione, Titan) with various exposures for other bodies, I got this photo with ten solar system bodies. A dim random star sidled alongside Ganymede.

Here is my best image, and an animation of the trio.

Posted by: vikingmars Dec 22 2020, 02:55 PM

QUOTE (JRehling @ Dec 22 2020, 06:59 AM)

I assume that anybody here has heard about this by now. It's still a worthwhile sight in the evenings to come. I got photos of it on the three nights of closest approach, and by mixing in a long exposure for Saturn's moons (counterclockwise: Rhea, Tethys, Dione, Titan) with various exposures for other bodies, I got this photo with ten solar system bodies. A dim random star sidled alongside Ganymede.

Here is my best image, and an animation of the trio.

WOW ! Congratulations for your nice pictures

Posted by: Xerxes Dec 22 2020, 04:59 PM

QUOTE (JRehling @ Dec 22 2020, 12:59 AM)

A dim random star sidled alongside Ganymede.

I also saw that star in my shots of the event, and it turns out to be a bit more interesting than just a random star. It's HIP 99314, and it was occulted by both Ganymede and Jupiter on the night of Dec 20-21: http://www.harvestmoonorchard.com/astro/occultations/LowMagEvents/20201221Gan9314_summary.html

Posted by: Explorer1 Dec 22 2020, 10:08 PM

And here's a view from the Moon, via LROC ( http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1174 )

Posted by: MahFL Dec 23 2020, 12:19 AM

Here is a pic I took quite early on the 21st. 45x zoom using a 60mm spotting scope and pic snapped by IPhone 10. I seem to have caught Saturn in a very stable pocket of atmosphere. The view was much better with the naked eye, esp after the evening got darker.

Posted by: nprev Dec 23 2020, 07:18 AM

The conjunction naked-eye view from downtown Los Angeles.

Posted by: JRehling Dec 23 2020, 09:51 AM

Great pictures, everyone! I envy the views that some people got! It was a great reminder of how the population at large can get really excited about events like this.

Posted by: fredk Dec 23 2020, 07:58 PM

It finally cleared in Vancouver Tuesday evening. I'm surprized there was some discussion about whether they'd be resolvable by eye - at 10'.5 they were easy to pick apart (even with my not-so-great eyesight) and I'm sure I could've at the minimum 6'. I guess viewing against a brightish sky helped and maybe Saturn could get lost in Jupiter's glare against a black sky?

Posted by: MahFL Dec 24 2020, 06:55 AM

QUOTE (fredk @ Dec 23 2020, 07:58 PM)

It finally cleared in Vancouver Tuesday evening. I'm surprized there was some discussion about whether they'd be resolvable by eye - at 10'.5 they were easy to pick apart (even with my not-so-great eyesight) and I'm sure I could've at the minimum 6'. I guess viewing against a brightish sky helped and maybe Saturn could get lost in Jupiter's glare against a black sky?

In reality they did not get as close together as the general media had us believe. They were always resolvable to my spectacle corrected vision.

Posted by: MahFL Dec 24 2020, 06:59 AM

Next up is the Mars/Uranus conjunction on 21 Jan 2021. That will be be harder to see as Uranus is so much dimmer.

Posted by: climber Dec 24 2020, 01:42 PM

That's the best I could do with poor conditions in south of France on Dec 22nd.
From left to right, Callisto, Europe, Jupiter, Io, Ganymede and...well, Saturn.
Sony Alpha 6000 200mm/F6.3 2"

Posted by: dtolman Dec 29 2020, 03:01 PM

QUOTE (MahFL @ Dec 24 2020, 01:59 AM)