Jupiter and Saturn Close together in sky tonight (1 Viewer)

[krazykat69]

Check out Jupiter and Saturn in the Southwest sky tonight just after dark. They are very close together. Tomorrow night they will appear as one bright planet as Jupiter is in front of Saturn, as viewed from Earth. A pair of binoculars will enhance the sight, but not necessary. You could see 3 or 4 of Jupiter's moons with just Binoculars. A telescope would show you Saturn's rings, also.
This is a rare opportunity. Jupiter is about 390 million miles away and Saturn is about 792 million miles away from Earth. Jupiter is about 456 million miles from Saturn. This conjunction happens every 20 years.

I will be 90 years old before I see this again. I have descent eye sight now, who knows in 20 years. Clear skies tonight so check it out.

 

[krazykat69]

The last time these 2 planets appeared this close, at a good time to view them was 1226, back when Genghis Khan was roaming around.

 

[Pyro-boy]

I am looking forward to seeing this!

 

[demoj]

It took 19 years to put 190K miles on my Runner.... at 9K a year it would take 43,000 years to drive to Jupiter. If you did 100mph 24hrs aur day it would still take you 445 years to get there... But then you would have to turn right around because there would not be a safe place to park.

 

[2manycruisers]

I wish I knew how to use my telescope. My eyes are too bad and my hands too shaky for my 8x binocs to see more than the planets. Still cool, thanks for sharing.

 

[pappy]

I wish I knew how to use my telescope. My eyes are too bad and my hands too shaky for my 8x binocs to see more than the planets. Still cool, thanks for sharing.

Rancho Mirage Observatory to Live Stream Great Conjunction Dec 21st 2020

Please join us online in the early evening on Monday, December 21 for a live stream event to view Jupiter and Saturn in a Great Conjunction. From our view

www.desertusa.com

 

[Mauser]

We will have our telescope out tonight. I have been watching Jupiter and Saturn move closer together for the last week. Excited to see the Christmas Star.

@2manycruisers What kind of telescope do you have?

 

[Mauser]

It took 19 years to put 190K miles on my Runner.... at 9K a year it would take 43,000 years to drive to Jupiter. If you did 100mph 24hrs aur day it would still take you 445 years to get there... But then you would have to turn right around because there would not be a safe place to park.

 

[krazykat69]

The last time these 2 planets appeared this close, at a good time to view them was 1226, back when Genghis Khan was roaming around.

I have been looking for a picture of the famous Genghis Klan in his FJ40 in the Gobi desert. If you can find it , it would be a Christmas Miracle!!!

 

[Mauser]

We're ready!

 

[krazykat69]

We're ready!
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Nice scope .and a great location.

 

[ramangain]

We're ready!
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Nice set of optics there. How big is the primary, 6"?

 

[2manycruisers]

We will have our telescope out tonight. I have been watching Jupiter and Saturn move closer together for the last week. Excited to see the Christmas Star.

@2manycruisers What kind of telescope do you have?

It's an inexpensive Celestron. We used it a bit tonight, but the livestream was a much better telescope/view than we had.

 

[Mauser]

Nice set of optics there. How big is the primary, 6"?

Thanks. Its almost 40 years old and could use a good cleaning. Yeah 6" my father in law gave it to us a while back when he bought himself a new 10"
Hard to take a picture with a cell phone, but you can see Jupiter and 3 of its moons and Saturn below it.

 

[ramangain]

To think that Jupiter is closer to Earth than Saturn

 

[demoj]

To think that Jupiter is closer to Earth than Saturn

No joke... that thing is a beast...