Jupiter and Saturn conjunction December 2020

Pictures of planets before the conjunction on the 21st December 2020

My intention was to show pictures of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on the 21st December 2020 from Benfleet. Unfortunately, the sky was overcast that night and nothing was seen. It was the same on the next 3 nights only clearing on Christmas day when the conjunction was well past.

However, I did take some pictures on Saturday 19th December and Sunday 20th December which give a view of what was going to happen. These were taken with a normal camera and not a telescope. The camera was a Panasonic DMC-FZ72 mounted on a tripod.

The names of the various objects on the pictures were checked using the astronomical site Stellarium Web.

This full size picture of Jupiter and Saturn was taken on the 19th December 2020 from Benfleet in a South-West direction. The equivalent focal length of the lens was 1,311 mm, the F-stop was F/5.9 and the exposure time was 1 second.

Phil Coley

This edited picture of Jupiter and Saturn taken on the 19th December 2020 shows that it also captures images of two other objects which turn out to be two of Jupiter's four Galilean moons.

Phil Coley

The moons on this picture of Jupiter and Saturn were checked using Stellarium Web and found to be Ganymede and Callisto. The other two moons were hidden behind Jupiter.

Phil Coley

This full size picture of Jupiter and Saturn was taken on the 20th December 2020 from Benfleet through the branches of a tree in a South-West direction. The equivalent focal length of the lens was 1,200 mm, the F-stop was F/5.9 and the exposure time was 1 second.

Phil Coley

This edited picture of Jupiter and Saturn taken on the 20th December 2020 shows three other objects. I thought these were three of Jupiter's four Galilean moons, but they turned out to be two moons and a star.

Phil Coley

The objects on this picture of Jupiter and Saturn were checked using Stellarium Web and found to be two moons, Ganymede and Callisto, and a star, HD191250. The other two Galilean moons were hidden behind Jupiter.

Phil Coley