19th December 16:25 hrs: Jupiter & Saturn 1/4 degree apart

[Stu]

No luck here. I suspect I missed a brief glimpse but was busy finishing off the bathroom before Christmas!! Fingers crossed for tomorrow. Will put the Tak out I think on the Gitzo for maximum flexibility and ability to move around.

[maw lod qan]

We have a few clouds rolling in. Another cold front predicted for Sunday, then clearing up (hopefully) by Moday evening.

I'm scheduled to work the next three days and go in early, so that means early to bed.

After yesterday evenings success, I'm really looking forward for this evening and Monday evening.

[Paz]

I trawled Google maps this morning to find a spot with a low horizon in the right place and watched the weather all day.

I had a set up all packed and ready to go.

It cleared up well in the afternoon and was looking good. I took the ED102R, Skytee 2 and a little bag of bits round to a nearby field and set up.

A lady walking her dog asked me "are you doing some photography?"

I said "no, I'm hoping to see Jupiter and Saturn, they are really close together.".

She said "where are they?".

I looked back and had to say "err, right there behind that big bank of cloud."

She said "oh".

That was the end of that. I had a hamlet moment watching the cloud thicken and then it started to drizzle.

😆

[F15Rules]

That was just bad luck Chris, sorry for the laugh, but your Hamlet recollection hit my funny bone!😁

Dave

[Paz]

7 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

That was just bad luck Chris, sorry for the laugh, but your Hamlet recollection hit my funny bone!😁

Dave

You do have to laugh. I've got the same plan ready to roll tomorrow, who dares wins... sometimes.

[Geoff Barnes]

Finally managed my first view of the conjunction via a gap in the trees. I have to say they looked much closer together than 1/4 degrees from here!....

🤣

 

[scarp15]

Interesting successful and less successful encounters, the moon was looking lovely as I approached walking towards and onto Newcastle Town Moor, binoculars and monopod. Then lo and behold, bang on cue blanket cloud swept in from the west. Part two / take two, tomorrow, yeah who dares wins...sometimes.

[paulastro]

Went up to Penistone Hill again and thought I'd go up to the triangulation point (1030 feet above sea level) rather than lower down the hill, so as to extend the brief window of visibility for us northern dwellers before the planets set.

In hindsight, certainly not the best call I've ever made!  It had been sunny most of the day, up to leaving home at 3pm.  Arrived at 3.10pm and there were some ominous clouds around. Carried my gear up the hill to the top - clouds even more ominous, and the wind was very strong. Then it started to rain, just as I had set the SW 72ED on the AZ5.  Put a cover on to protect it.

Then a very strong gust blew the whole thing over.  The finder foot snapped of the scope still attached to the bracket - the finder flew out the bracket.  I just about recovered my composure when I was attacked by three large dogs who wanted to play with me and my equipment.  Luckily the owner appeared and managed,  with some difficulty,  to drag them off me. The rain became heavier.

I grabbed my gear together and sort sanctuary further down the hill close to where my car was parked.  Sat in the car in heavy rain and winds that rocked the car at times - for nearly two hours.

At just gone 5, still raining but lighter, a small patch of thinner cloud developed, heading toward where the planets should be.  Out the car and a few mts later picked up Jupiter only a few degrees above my horizon, no Saturn visible, in my 10×50 binocs. Rushed to set the scope, now light rain.  Luckily ( as I had broken the finder off the scope) Jupiter was very low down and close to a telephone pole, so centred it easily in the 72ED by off setting from the telephone pole.

EUREKA, my day had just got a whole lot better as there was Jupiter and Saturn nicely framed at about x50 in my Baader zoom. Fabulous, could see three of Jupiters satellites and  Saturn and its rings above and to the right.  Viewed them for about 5 minutes before Jupitet set leaving two of its satellites pointing the way to Saturn above it at just under 15' distant.  I think I'd earned the view I had!

Just a typical observing session, and I'll be back tomorrow to do it all over again 🙂. 

Screen grab using SkySafari using my phone just before Jupiter set.

 

 

Edited December 19, 2020 by paulastro

[John]

Some more great reports - thanks for posting them

The planets actually looked quite attractive through my little 30mm RACI finder as well. Even when they dipped behind the branches of the chestnut tree and I was playing hide and seek with them.

We had a reasonably clear evening up until about 40 minutes ago. I can still see some stars out there but they are competing with a patchy cloud layer now so I've bought the scope in.

How many of us will get another shot at this pairing tomorrow and beyond that I wonder ?. Hopefully, lots 

[paulastro]

5 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Just got back in the car and had a hailstorm.

Dave

Oh, you live in Yorkshire?

[John]

2 minutes ago, paulastro said:

Went up to Penistone Hill again and thought I'd go up to the triangulation point (1030 feet above sea level) rather than lower down the hill, so as to extend the brief window of visibility for us northern dwellers before the planets set.

In hindsight, certainly not the best call I've ever made!  It had been sunny most of the day, up to leaving home at 3pm.  Arrived at 3.10pm and there were some ominous clouds around. Carried my gear up the hill to the top - clouds even more ominous, and the wind was very strong. Then it started to rain, just as I had set the SW 72ED on the AZ5.  Put a cover on to protect it.

Then a very strong gust blew the whole thing over.  The finder foot snapped of the scope still attached to the bracket - the finder flew out the bracket.  I just about recovered my composure when I was attacked by three large dogs who wanted to play with me and my equipment.  Luckily the owner appeared and managed,  with some difficulty,  The rain became heavier.

I grabbed my gear together and sort sanctuary further down the hill close to where my car was parked.  Sat in the car in heavy rain and winds that rocked the car at times - for nearly two hours.

At just gone 5, still raining but lighter, a small patch of thinner cloud developed, heading toward where the planets should be.  Out the car and a few mts later picked up Jupiter only a few degrees above my horizon, no Saturn visible, in my 10×50 binocs. Rushed to set the scope, now light rain.  Luckily ( as I had broken the finder off the scope) Jupiter was very low down and close to a telephone pole, so centred it easily in the 72ED by off setting from the telephone pole.

EUREKA, my day had just got a whole lot better as there was Jupiter and Saturn nicely framed at about x50 in my Baader zoom. Fabulous, could see three of Jupiters satellites and  Saturn and its rings above and to the right.  Viewed them for about 5 minutes before Jupitet set leaving two of its satellites pointing the way to Saturn above it at just under 15' distant.  I think I'd earned the view I had!

Just a typical observing session, and I'll be back tomorrow to do it all over again 🙂. 

Screen grab using SkySafari using my phone just before Jupiter set.

 

 

You worked hard for those views by the sound of it Paul. Really glad that you were rewarded

The things we astronomers to see some blobs of light a long, long way away 

[Geoff Barnes]

Amazing dedication @paulastro  I'm clearly not a real astronomer, I would never have put myself through all that for love nor money!!  😯

[maw lod qan]

They were spectacular as the Sun set yesterday. It was so clear I feel guilty reading your reports of clouds!🙄

No matter what I tried, with the two giants so low, the best I could manage in my single images was a single equatorial band on Jupiter.

The past week SWMBO stayed at my youngest daughters to baby sit, being they were in school.

This week they are out, and staying with us. Both got to view the planets and the moon with me before the mosquitos ran them in.

My oldest, who is ten immediately said, I can see the four moons!

[John]

1 hour ago, maw lod qan said:

They were spectacular as the Sun set yesterday. It was so clear I feel guilty reading your reports of clouds!🙄

No matter what I tried, with the two giants so low, the best I could manage in my single images was a single equatorial band on Jupiter.

The past week SWMBO stayed at my youngest daughters to baby sit, being they were in school.

This week they are out, and staying with us. Both got to view the planets and the moon with me before the mosquitos ran them in.

My oldest, who is ten immediately said, I can see the four moons!

Nice report !

While seeing them together is great, this is not a good time to see fine detail on either planet is it ?

Young eyes do seem to do well though - sometimes seeing stuff that our older eyes and brains overlook or don't register 

Mosquitos is a problem that we don't seem to have here - unless @paulastro ran into some hardy Yorkshire ones to add to his other challenges last night !

 

[westmarch]

I recommend a fast telescope as the only way to see the conjunction properly.  It needs to be up, cool and focussed in less than two minutes between sunset and cloud gaps.

John

Edited December 20, 2020 by westmarch

[badhex]

I had the foresight to get my C5 outside on the balcony before I went out for the final food shop of the year in the vague hope that a) I would get back in time and b) it would still be clear. 

Despite the landlord's best efforts to delay us leaving I did manage to get back in time and it was, remarkably, still clear. I got set up upstairs on the shared roof terrace with my pre-cooled gear, and fit in a solid 20 mins of reasonable viewing, and maybe another 10 of not so good viewing. 

Still, both Jupiter and Saturn looked great even at 71x  in my Morpheus 17.5mm, and I was able to easily pick out the Galilean moons and Titan. Switching up to the Meade HD60 9mm started to really push limits of the seeing so I ended up spending most of the time with the Morpheus. I'm surprised just how much detail I could pick out at 71x but the Morpheus continues to delight and it does seem to occupy the go-to EP sweet spot at the moment. 

I am lucky to have access to a roof terrace in a capital city, but the skyline is still pretty hectic on all compass points except NE, so it doesn't take long before the atmospheric interference from all the buildings ruins the view for such a low lying target, sadly, but I'm happy to have got a decent chance now in case it's not possible tomorrow. 

 

Good luck to everyone else! 

[John]

I was hoping to get a glimpse of them tonight at 9 arc minutes separation. The scope and mount are ready but the sky is currently heavy with dark clouds and rain is falling

I'm all ready to leap into action if things clear in the next 45 minutes or so though (ever the optimist !)

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by John

[johnturley]

Looking quire promising for a glimpse from Dronfield at present.

According to the weather forecast no chance for tomorrow (cloud and rain), and poor for Tuesday.

John 

[bish]

Scope set up. Clear at the moment.  Nice view of both at x187 in the mak, from 16:30. Still clear too

Edited December 20, 2020 by bish

[Telescope40]

Got them. Nice clear sky right now over Mancland. Lovely view. Tried with the phone for a shot. Was worth a go. Happy I’ve seen it. Not holding any hopes for tomorrow. Rounds off the year I guess. Hope everyone gets the chance of a look. 
John 

 

[DaveL59]

I can see them, kinda

sadly thru 3 sets of trees from my garden. Shot just now with a 300mmAPO & x2 TC. Defo getting closer together, that gap would fit in my little fingernail and I've relatively small hands.

Edited December 20, 2020 by DaveL59

[kerrylewis]

Lovely view naked eye and through the scope. Jupiter has even gained a fifth moon for the occasion with a star in just the right place! 

[John]

Miraculous cloud and rain clearance here leading to excellent views of the pair with my Tak FC100-DL and barlowed zoom. Crisp and bright at 100x, not so crisp and bright but still both planets in the field of view at 281x. I thought it would be a washout this evening so pleased to have made the effort. Just got to wipe the Tak tube down - still lots of rain drops coming off the trees, none near the optics though.

The pair were very nice with the 11x70 binoculars and even with the 6x30 finder.

Even if I don't get a view tomorrow (closest approach) I feel I've observed this great conjunction quite well now

Excellent to read the other reports coming in as too - thanks for posting them

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by John

[bish]

Seeing not bad. Rings quite sharp. Belts and moons of Jupiter clear. 

[DaveL59]

ahh no chance with a scope here esp with those trees, I'd need the scope at head height to stand a chance for where they are from here. Sky does look nice and clear tonight tho, for a change.