Tomorrow is not only the Winter Solstice, but we are going to witness what is called the ‘Great’ Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, where the two planets come close together to look like one bright star.
But while single conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn occur once every 20 years, such triple conjunctions are far less frequent, occurring about once every 180 years on average; the last time was in 1981, but the next won't happen until 2239. ~space.com
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 for 2020, allowing nearly everyone around the world to witness this “great conjunction
-NASA
I excelled in science and of course art, during my school years. I was interested in most sciences, but mainly biology, natural sciences, and astronomy.
I bought a very powerful telescope years ago, one that can be programmed to track the moving earth and sky, and attach a camera to it. It was intended to be set up on the large deck of our country home in the Catskills, but then, things changed and my telescope is waiting in storage to be set up again.
Like many large cities, we suffer from light pollution which makes it a challenge for any amateur astronomer to enjoy the night sky.
Perhaps this conjunction is a sign of good things to come in 2021, a brighter future for all, who knows.
I am grateful to be here to witness this phenomenon, and capture Jupiter and Saturn in all their dazzling, splendor.
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