# The Jupiter Saturn conjunction! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 21, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581 "2020-12-21T23:36:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/1 "2020-12-21T23:36:57Z")
If you are in the Eastern time zone you had better hurry out, and find a clear SW horizon. Amazing. Easily got both very close in my 5" Celestron. The coolest thing was having Titan to the lower right lined up perfectly with the 4 Galiliean moons (one of which Io I’d guess was very close to Jupiter’s disc). I also had an airliner fly through the view right over the two of them. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/2 "2020-12-21T23:38:28Z")
Yeah, share some pics. Too cloudy here. Balls. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/3 "2020-12-22T01:29:28Z")
Cloudy here too. However, live stream of the view through a pretty significant telescope… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4uiABtFyGPY/maxresdefault.jpg "Great Conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn | December 21 2020 | Griffith Observatory") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uiABtFyGPY) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/4 "2020-12-22T01:59:59Z")
Went out and saw it. Yep. Kinda underwhelming.actually. Maybe next time… ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/5 "2020-12-22T02:18:30Z")
It is pouring here to the extent that rain is the only activity that can possibly happen tonight. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/6 "2020-12-22T02:44:11Z")
I went with the ‘Christmas Star’ theme and used a star filter on my camera to take a pic. Twin ‘stars’. I like it. [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8_FksBqzyOpTr3Al1BIC7MJPDyEPUXXIImNnzX4M8_4qiyECdjqZdh8AomkQdAnY7WWFS2lD6vayi3gx3dtwIUpold_iwnKfMruUaUow3SsXiLbD_MMQ6DuIJsCurqwQY45ypF6xsmA=w600-h315-p-k "New item by Romansperson") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/HAcop6DCxC58nXK46) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/7 "2020-12-22T02:51:15Z")
Same thing where I am. I got a few miles out of town, and the moon came out and gave enough light for me to see this, so I went back home. I’ve seen a few naked-eye/Smartphone pictures, and they’re quite cool. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/8 "2020-12-22T03:20:21Z")
Unless you have equipment, it’s just two dots in the sky. I’m hoping someone here or on my FB can do better please! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/9 "2020-12-22T03:22:18Z")
Uh… nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/10 "2020-12-22T03:25:28Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > I went with the ‘Christmas Star’ theme and used a star filter on my camera to take a pic. Twin ‘stars’. I like it. Thank you. Here in Nassau County Long Island we weren’t gonna see shit. Clouds and city light pollution. Nice to see how close they actually got. That’s pretty damn cool. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/11 "2020-12-22T03:27:37Z")
Lucky. Overcast here. ☹ I have the Celestron FirstScope I bought on a lark, and I enjoy looking at the planets. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/12 "2020-12-22T03:36:36Z")
Even without a telescope, I was able to see that Saturn had rings. It’s possible that it will be visible again tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/13 "2020-12-22T03:41:31Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > Even without a telescope, I was able to see that Saturn had rings Binoculars? Or you saying you could tell with your own eyeballs?!?!?? ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/14 "2020-12-22T03:48:00Z")
My own eyeballs. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/15 "2020-12-22T04:03:24Z")
Nonsense. Even in binoculars [you can’t see Saturn’s rings](https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/viewing-saturns-rings-tips-for-beginners), though there are [disputed reports](http://www.denisdutton.com/jupiter_moons.htm) that someone could detect Jupiter’s moons with the naked eye, so perhaps that’s what you were seeing, an ‘ovaling’ of Jupiter because of the moons. [Today’s configuration of Jupiter’s moons](https://skyandtelescope.org/wp-content/plugins/observing-tools/jupiter_moons/jupiter.html) makes that iffy but maybe. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/16 "2020-12-22T04:11:04Z")
I’m not sure what you’re going on about - if you think I meant I could see them in detail or something, well, of course not. But I guess here we always need to spell everything out in excruciating detail. If you look close at the picture I took, you can see which is Saturn and which is Jupiter. It was pretty obvious to me when I was looking at them. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/17 "2020-12-22T04:13:55Z")
I saw it here in Panama, from the oceanfront promenade in Panama City, using 10x binoculars. There was some cloud, but it was clear in that direction. Unfortunately I could only watch until 6:45, since our covid curfew starts at 7 PM. Now that I know where to look for them, I may lug out my spotting scope tomorrow. I’ve seen Jupiter’s moons before and Saturn’s rings, but didn’t see them tonight. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/18 "2020-12-22T04:20:03Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > I’m not sure what you’re going on about - if you think I meant I could see them in detail or something, well, of course not. But I guess here we always need to spell everything out in excruciating detail. > > If you look close at the picture I took, you can see which is Saturn and which is Jupiter. It was pretty obvious to me when I was looking at them. OK, it wasn’t apparent to me you were talking about your photo, not seeing Saturn’s rings by looking at the sky. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/19 "2020-12-22T04:21:14Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > If you look close at the picture I took, you can see which is Saturn and which is Jupiter. It was pretty obvious to me when I was looking at them. Yes, Jupiter is much brighter than Saturn. But you can’t see Saturn’s rings naked-eye. In binoculars on a good night it can appear a bit oval. Jupiter’s moons can easily be seen with 10x binoculars. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2020, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581/20 "2020-12-22T04:23:28Z")
Saturn was most definitely oval, and it was very cool to see. I was surprised, really, how visible this was. We got lucky here for sure. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-jupiter-saturn-conjunction/928581.md?page=2)