Su Bayfield
The Great Conjunction
Last night we had a rare and relatively clear sky, or so I thought, so I hurredly gathered my equipment after sunset and rushed out to try and photograph "the Great Conjunction" as the new moon was setting (which I almost missed). It was a hurried first attempt to capture this spectacle, as I probably won't be around for the next one.
In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope to the night sky, discovering the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In that same year, Galileo also discovered a strange oval surrounding Saturn, which later observations determined to be its rings. These discoveries changed how people understood the far reaches of our solar system. Thirteen years later, in 1623, the solar system’s two giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, travelled together across the sky. Jupiter caught up to and passed Saturn, in an astronomical event known as a “Great Conjunction.”
The planets regularly appear to pass each other in the solar system, with the positions of Jupiter and Saturn being aligned in the sky about once every 20 years. What makes this year’s spectacle so rare, then? It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night, as it will on 21 December 2020, allowing nearly everyone around the world to witness this great event.
This photograph is a blend of the foreground with setting moon and the sky at a slightly higher focal length. You can just about see two of Jupiter's moons. I'd love to have another go with a longer lens, but chances of a clear sky over the next few days are minimal.
The Great Conjunction
Last night we had a rare and relatively clear sky, or so I thought, so I hurredly gathered my equipment after sunset and rushed out to try and photograph "the Great Conjunction" as the new moon was setting (which I almost missed). It was a hurried first attempt to capture this spectacle, as I probably won't be around for the next one.
In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope to the night sky, discovering the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In that same year, Galileo also discovered a strange oval surrounding Saturn, which later observations determined to be its rings. These discoveries changed how people understood the far reaches of our solar system. Thirteen years later, in 1623, the solar system’s two giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, travelled together across the sky. Jupiter caught up to and passed Saturn, in an astronomical event known as a “Great Conjunction.”
The planets regularly appear to pass each other in the solar system, with the positions of Jupiter and Saturn being aligned in the sky about once every 20 years. What makes this year’s spectacle so rare, then? It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night, as it will on 21 December 2020, allowing nearly everyone around the world to witness this great event.
This photograph is a blend of the foreground with setting moon and the sky at a slightly higher focal length. You can just about see two of Jupiter's moons. I'd love to have another go with a longer lens, but chances of a clear sky over the next few days are minimal.