Jupiter - Saturn Conjunction Live Stream

[carolinarider09]

The local astronomy club is living streaming the view of Jupiter and Saturn tonight on their Facebook page right now (1838 EST 12/19/2020)

Its not bad.  

I can also just go into my enter way and look out the upper windows and see it but this view is better.  

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=206404254360700&ref=notif&notif_id=1608419641161416&notif_t=live_video

As of 2124 EST 12/19/2020, the live streamed has ended (not sure when but it said it was on line for three hours).

[Jersey mike]

Bunch of clouds tonight but I just saw this 9:15pm so maybe I missed it. I’ve been hearing about this event but forgot all about it.

[carolinarider09]

I just looked outside and it was cloudy to the south of us so I could not see it in real time. 

[carolinarider09]

Ok,,,, my apologies,  I was reading the "news" and did not take any time to check and see what was actually happening.

As it turns out, the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, at least according to Sky Safari Plus, will take place early in the evening here in the Eastern Time Zone. 

What that means is that it will be sort of low on the horizon, in the west after the sun sets.  So, you won't have much time to view it.  It will be below the horizon, by 8 or maybe earlier.  I have not checked that closely.

So, if you want to get a glimpse of it in real life, go out after sunset and look to the south west. 

[carolinarider09]

Here is a "picture" of what the view will look like tomorrow evening at around 6:00 PM EST in the midlands of SC.  By 7:37 PM they are below the horizon.  

I checked further west and for a similar latitude, the view is the same.  Go north and the planets get lower on the horizon.  

It would be a much more spectacular sight if the planets were directly overhead and the moon was below the horizon.  But, still....

[Jersey mike]

Very cloudy again tonight. I even set a timer for 5pm...nj time.

[f6gal]

This is only visible with a telescope, right?  It looks like it will be spectacular. 

[carolinarider09]

Nope both Saturn and Jupiter are naked eye objects.  If fact Jupiter is pretty darn bright, not many stars that are brighter (if any, have not checked magnitudes). 

Saturn is dimmer but still bright. 

[carolinarider09]

The view from Surprise, AZ tomorrow night at 6:00 PM.   

[f6gal]

Nope both Saturn and Jupiter are naked eye objects.  If fact Jupiter is pretty darn bright, not many stars that are brighter (if any, have not checked magnitudes). 

Saturn is dimmer but still bright. 

Would you know where I should look at what time (MST); coordinates: 27.2046° N, 77.4977° E?

[f6gal]

The view from Surprise, AZ tomorrow night at 6:00 PM.   

LOL.. you answered while I was asking.  That's 6 pm MST?  And I should look West, low on the horizon?

[carolinarider09]

I did a new one for the lat long you provided at 6:00 PM local time. 

And look southwest low on the horizon. 

[f6gal]

Thank you!  Looking forward to it.  It looks like it will be a clear night; hopefully Tuesday's clouds won't move in early.

[RP#62]

Thank you!  Looking forward to it.  It looks like it will be a clear night; hopefully Tuesday's clouds won't move in early.

If you look S/SW just after sunset, one of the first "stars" you'll see is Jupiter.  If you look closely you see there's actually two stars, one is dimmer just above the other.  That's them.

-RP

[0leman]

Rats, looks like mother nature is going to stop us from viewing the event. Storm due late this afternoon.  Guess will have to watch the videos.   

[Jess from VA]

If I get on my roof with a pair of binoculars it will just further confirm that the old guy across the street is getting even stranger.  So I'm not doing it.  

Officer, I ask you honesty, would YOU want to see that lady in her nickers?

Well sir, what exactly were you looking at then?

I was trying to see Uranus.

OK, just come along with us quietly please.

[carolinarider09]

Oh, just in case you all were wondering, how you can tell a planet in the night time sky from a star, its simple.

Stars twinkle.  Planets don't.

So if you see a bright object in the night time sky that is stationary and it appears to twinkle, its a star, turning hydrogen to helium and helium to other stuff in the world of nuclear fusion. 

If that bright object in the night time sky is stationary and not twinkling its not a star and is probably a planet.  (yes mars does look sort of red).

And the light you see is being reflected off planets cloud cover or, in the case of Mars, its surface.

Think of that, the planet is being lit up by our sun.  In the case of Jupiter, the sunlight goes out some 484 million miles to be reflected back to us, on earth some 390 million miles from the planet. 

Oh, and stars are various colors depending on where they are in the fusion process.  At least that is what memory tells me.  I tried to look it up but.....  I could be wrong.

[RP#62]

Oh, just in case you all were wondering, how you can tell a planet in the night time sky from a star, its simple.

Stars twinkle.  Planets don't.

So if you see a bright object in the night time sky that is stationary and it appears to twinkle, its a star, turning hydrogen to helium and helium to other stuff in the world of nuclear fusion. 

If that bright object in the night time sky is stationary and not twinkling its not a star and is probably a planet.  (yes mars does look sort of red).

And the light you see is being reflected off planets cloud cover or, in the case of Mars, its surface.

Think of that, the planet is being lit up by our sun.  In the case of Jupiter, the sunlight goes out some 484 million miles to be reflected back to us, on earth some 390 million miles from the planet. 

Oh, and stars are various colors depending on where they are in the fusion process.  At least that is what memory tells me.  I tried to look it up but.....  I could be wrong.

When we were at Kitt Peak, they told us that in AZ, stars overhead don't twinkle because of the stability of the atmosphere here.  They do twinkle, the closer they are to the horizon.  They said that along with low levels of light pollution (but getting worse all the time) atmospheric stability was one of the reasons there are so many observatories in AZ.    Please don't think I'm doubting you, I'm not, I'm just trying to reconcile what I've heard.

-RP

[Jess from VA]

The star watching phenomenon that I have always found intriguing is where if you look directly at a dim object, you cannot see it.  But if you look away a bit, it then can be seen clearly, peripherally.

That may be something (eye related) that applies other places, but I can't think of any. 

[carolinarider09]

Jess,

The term adverted vision comes to mind.  

RP:  

Your synopsis and what you hear at Kitt Peak might well be correct.  I don't remember being in a spot where the stars did not twinkle.  But then I did not always look.  

OHHH

One more thing, you will see news articles that the Ursid meteor shower peaks around the winter solstice, today (well tomorrow).  However, the moon will also be up and that limits the ability to see most meteors since they are generally sort of faint.  You might see a few and after the moon sets, around 1230 AM and that will help and also, since the earth will be facing into its orbit, that will reduce the speed need for metors to hit the earth's atmosphere. 

Something like 5 to 10 meteors per hour.  Not the biggest meteor shower, but.... If you are looking up, you never know.

When I was doing a lot of astronomy and "star parties", we would spend the first several hours with our telescopes pointed up for the start party guests to see stuff, planets, star clusters, galaxies, ect.  And while we were allowing others to look through the eyepiece, we were also looking up.  It never failed that we would see at least one or two "shooting stars". 

[scooperhsd]

All right !

I saw them - you could see the small dot of Saturn  up and close to Jupiter, and it was really clear when I got out my binoculars (although I'm not very steady).

And to the Southeast I saw a bright object and at least one smaller one (besides the moon).

[J.Mencalice]

Western Colorado night sky was perfect last night and will be perfect again tonight for the conjunction.
We were able to observe it intermittently for up to an hour after dusk rolled around.  Mars was a prominent planet overhead as well.  

There is an astronomy club that meets up regularly at the north portal of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park where the viewing is spectacular with the absence of any interfering light.  
My bet is that there will be a few folks out there this evening.

The Geminid meteor shower was brilliant this year, as are most of the displays we are fortunate to experience here in the great wide open. Worth setting the alarm for 2 AM to catch a peek of the fire in the sky.

[carolinarider09]

Yes, that is what I saw.  I was hoping for the two planets to be a little closer together so that you would need binoculars, as a minimum, to see the separation.  

Too bad the moon was up.  Would have been much better in a dark sky.  

[carolinarider09]

Current Live Stream on Youtube as of 2026 12/21/2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrRcfaWutLQ

[Bret SD]

I can see the two planets clearly to the Southwest, going out again at 5:44 to see the alignment, they're very close together as of a few mins ago

[f6gal]

Ok, I just gazed upon them.  I was kind of expecting Jupiter to be a little brighter (many the city lights waned it).  Saturn was very close (but definite separation) at about the 2 o'clock position.  So, what's next?  

[Bret SD]

Ok, I just gazed upon them.  I was kind of expecting Jupiter to be a little brighter (many the city lights waned it).  Saturn was very close (but definite separation) at about the 2 o'clock position.  So, what's next?  

So today it the winter Solstice, we had sunset at 16:45, and the conjunction of these two planets represent the battle between good and evil. From here the days get longer and light fills the sky as evil is vanquished 

That's my story anyway 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Ok, I just gazed upon them.  I was kind of expecting Jupiter to be a little brighter (many the city lights waned it).  Saturn was very close (but definite separation) at about the 2 o'clock position.  So, what's next?  

A shooting star. Saw that and the 2 planets tonight at dinner.

[carolinarider09]

Whats next???

Well if you can wait until April 8th 2024 there will be a total solar eclipse visible in the US (Southern part mostly).  

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/list.html

And on August 12th, 2021 the Perseid Meteor shower will peak in a moonless sky (well the moon will be setting early) with all of the planets that are beyond the asteroid belt in a line across the sky.  Of course you will need a telescope to see Pluto and Neptune.  

 https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/

[Serk]

It didn't mean much to 'em last night, but in the future they'll be able to pull this picture up, and the triplets can say "We saw it!"

[RNFWP]

...great picture...

[0leman]

To our amazement, the projected storm was late.  We could stand in our front yard to see the planets.  Really kind of cool.   With naked eye could actually see two planets if looked close enough.   Bi-nocks showed them up even better.

Even got in a 105 mile ride in mid/upper 40 degree temps.   There, now it is bike rated post.

Thankfully the projected storm was 4 hours late.   

[Jess from VA]

It didn't mean much to 'em last night, but in the future they'll be able to pull this picture up, and the triplets can say "We saw it!"

Kinda reminiscent of ET Call Home.   (without the flying bicycles, but farther away)



That, or a 747 on final approach.   

[carolinarider09]

I did go out tonight around 1815 local time and Jupiter and Saturn were still in close proximity but there was more separation than last night. 

I wish I could have seen them on the 20th just to watch the progress as they merged. 

[scooperhsd]

Too many clouds here tonight to see them.

[RP#62]

I was able to get a couple of pictures tonight.  In the first one, you can see 4 of Jupiter's moons.  In the second one, Saturn is little better defined.

-RP

[carolinarider09]

What equipment did you/are you using?

[RP#62]

What equipment did you/are you using?

I went for all the reach I could get.  I put a 500mm lens with a 1.4 magnifier on a Nikon D7200.  Put the rig on a tripod and used a remote to trigger the shutter to try and minimize vibration.  I had it on manual exposure, so I had to play with it a little to get something recognizable.

-RP

[carolinarider09]

Good work!!!  Really, good work.

Back in the day (say late 90's) I was really into astrophotography.  I had a 10" Newtonian reflector (F5.6).  

This is the best I could do with eye piece projection for the planets.  Oh, I think I have told this story before but when I was at an observing session some years back and had my 24" out, a lady climbed the ladder to look at Saturn and her words upon seeing the planet were "it really has rings"...  

[RP#62]

Thanks.  That's about the best I can get with the gear I've got.  I really need to get a bigger ball head for the tripod.  Mine drifts a little with this size lens and it limits my exposure time.  I've seen some where they stack about 50 long exposures and get an amazing amount of detail.

-RP