Checking out the Great Conjunction on Winter Solstice

Yesterday, Jupiter and Saturn came so very close to each other during their orbits you could see them together in the field of view of a telescope. The event was rare. The planets haven’t been so close and easily viewed for hundreds of years. 

We joined others to look at the scene through a telescope. In the photo below, Jess and the boys (with masks) are looking at the view on the screen. A kind gent (in the Santa hat) had set up the view for all with his telescope. 

We then focused on the view with our binoculars. 

We got a shot, but an unsteady one. We needed a tripod!

It was a fun night to do something different this Christmas break week and experience the vastness of the universe. 

If you see this post now (or during the rest of December), you can still see the two planets close together in the southwest part of the horizon. You don’t need a telescope or binoculars. Neat!