Saturn & Jupiter - December 21th

HeavyG

Don't forget to look for the very rare show that Jupiter and Saturn will display tomorrow right at sunset looking southwest. The graphic below gives a good idea as to what to expect separation-wise. Hope your skies are clear!

alaskanassasin

I will bolo. Thanks for sharing 

northGAcock

Is this the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?  .....actually today’s the wife’s Burfday, and has always expierenced it on the shortest day of the year “Winter Solstice”. 

 Just checked and the clouds should be clearing early afternoon.....and visibility here should be good. Looking forward to a great view. 

SciAggie

We’ll be out watching. 

thetrim

I’ll be watching from BFE in Central Florida. At the most remote State park in the system.  Not a great spot for a BB

Foghorn

What park is that @thetrim?  I'm always into discovering new parts of Central Florida.  A bunch of us use to camp by a sinkhole in the middle of the Ocala National Forest.  The directions were something like:

- Drive a 4WD vehicle and bring a compass.
- Take highway 19N through the forest.  
- Exactly 6.7 (or some number) miles north of the county road 445 turnoff there will be a red t-shirt tied to a tree branch on the left side of the road.  Turn off the road between the trees there and drive down what looks like a narrow walking path.  If you stay at compass heading 270 you'll stay on or near the path. 
- After you have traveled about 1/2 mile off the road there will be another red t-shirt tied to a tree.  Veer left just after that tree.  
- etc.

With that said, I think the parks with springs throughout Central Florida are one of the best kept secrets in the state.

QDude

If you can look through a telescope you should be able to see Jupiter's moons and maybe Saturn's rings.  It may be a bit tough though as the planets are so low in the sky which can make viewing more difficult.

GregW

Weather in central Alabama looks like it will be perfect for viewing tonight. 

fishlessman

looks like i will have to wait til tomorrow night and see whats left of it. going to be cloudy tonight

HeavyG

https://twitter.com/peachastro/status/1341097250546708480

Nice shot!

You can click on the image to get to a larger version where you can see some of the moons more easily.

QDude

fishlessman said:

looks like i will have to wait til tomorrow night and see whats left of it. going to be cloudy tonight

You will still be able to see them but they will be a little further apart and will continue to drift as the days go by.

WeberWho

My wife was all about this last night. She was telling me all about Saturn and Jupiter and to come and take a look outside on the deck. I walked outside and looked where she was pointing through the trees. I said, "That's a street light flickering" and I walked back inside. 

fishlessman

QDude said:

fishlessman said:

looks like i will have to wait til tomorrow night and see whats left of it. going to be cloudy tonight

You will still be able to see them but they will be a little further apart and will continue to drift as the days go by.

looks like tomorrow is my best chance then clouds and rain til sunday

nolaegghead

northGAcock said:

Is this the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?  .....actually today’s the wife’s Burfday, and has always expierenced it on the shortest day of the year “Winter Solstice”. 

 Just checked and the clouds should be clearing early afternoon.....and visibility here should be good. Looking forward to a great view. 

Technically it falls on the 22nd every 4 or so years.  Not trying to burst any birthday bubbles here.  Carry on!

nolaegghead

(that's just for the Northern hemisphere)

YukonRon

I have been following this for over a month. It is a very cool event, and one that I will never see again.

nolaegghead

YukonRon said:

I have been following this for over a month. It is a very cool event, and one that I will never see again.

You've made it this far, Ron....you will probably live forever.

Foghorn

@YukonRon, if only you could sip on some Blanton's as you view it...

lousubcap

Viewed 'em.  Thanks for the alertment!  Impressive.

QDude

Decent view tonight.  Could see the 4 moons around Jupiter and the rings around Saturn with one moon.  I have seen better views when they are higher in the sky but it is really cool to see them together like that.  You will still be able to see them close together for a few days.

Botch

Clear skies here, saw them together.  
I have a 500mm f4 and a DX-sensor Nikon, but it still wouldn't capture the Jupiterian moons nor the rings.  
And I getz bonus points for being the first person here to use the term "Jupiterian".    

Botch

Oh, and I don't think, as a "wise Man", I would've packed up my camels with gold, frankincense and Murph, and crossed the sands of Arabia for weeks to follow those dots of light.  But that's just me.  

nolaegghead

Botch said:

Clear skies here, saw them together.  
I have a 500mm f4 and a DX-sensor Nikon, but it still wouldn't capture the Jupiterian moons nor the rings.  
And I getz bonus points for being the first person here to use the term "Jupiterian".    

Jebus, Botch...that thing is a man canon.  I have a 400 f-something that's huge.  One of them grey colored Canon lenses.

HeavyG

No joy for me. Solid clouds.

Ah well,,,next time!

JohnEggGio

Nothing.  Clouds.  On a similar subject, we did have some very clear skies last weekend - the Geminid shower was to be peaking.  Sat outside for most of an hour, around midnight, temp in the teens.  0 meteors.

lousubcap

Best thing I have seen in space was the co-joined Shuttle and Space Station but do remember seeing the Echo ballon satellite in my youth.  Youth is a fleeting thing especially when you are old!  

HeavyG

JohnEggGio said:

Nothing.  Clouds.  On a similar subject, we did have some very clear skies last weekend - the Geminid shower was to be peaking.  Sat outside for most of an hour, around midnight, temp in the teens.  0 meteors.

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

Midnight is usually a bit early for the best action. I read some reports of folks seeing dozens per hour.

The AMS caught a lot during clear skies the night before:

https://twitter.com/amsmeteors/status/1338405067163111424?s=20

Botch

nolaegghead said:

Botch said:

Clear skies here, saw them together.  
I have a 500mm f4 and a DX-sensor Nikon, but it still wouldn't capture the Jupiterian moons nor the rings.  
And I getz bonus points for being the first person here to use the term "Jupiterian".    

Jebus, Botch...that thing is a man canon.  I have a 400 f-something that's huge.  One of them grey colored Canon lenses.

Top of my Life Bucket LIst item, finally found a used one in perfect condition about 3 years ago.  Two updates old (didn't have VR) but it's too big to hand-hold, anyway.  

YukonRon

Foghorn said:

@YukonRon, if only you could sip on some Blanton's as you view it...

This used to be such a friendly place.🤦🏻‍♂️

YukonRon

My Beautiful Wife and I saw it this evening as the sky began to darken, looked to be as bright or brighter than Venus. We could not tell, due to the incredible amount of light wash here in the city.

It was directly over our neighbor’s house, to our South West, Mitch McConnell’s home.

northGAcock

nolaegghead said:

northGAcock said:

Is this the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?  .....actually today’s the wife’s Burfday, and has always expierenced it on the shortest day of the year “Winter Solstice”. 

 Just checked and the clouds should be clearing early afternoon.....and visibility here should be good. Looking forward to a great view. 

Technically it falls on the 22nd every 4 or so years.  Not trying to burst any birthday bubbles here.  Carry on!

Ahhh....every leap year. Got it.