月光三重奏
2020年12月17日，在华盛顿纪念馆上方的天空中看到了月亮（左）、土星和木星（右下；土星在木星的左上方）。当时，土星和木星在天空中彼此靠近，最终在12月21日出现“大近合”，相距十分之一度。
木星与土星大近合：电影
2020年12月30日 Jupiter and Saturn Great Conjunction: The Movie Video Credit: Thanakrit Santikunaporn (National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand); Text: Matipon Tangmatitham Explanation: Yes, but have you seen a movie of Jupiter and Saturn’s Great Conjunction? The featured time-lapse video was composed from a series of images taken from Thailand and shows the two giant planets as they angularly passed about a tenth of a degree from each other. The first Great Conjunction sequence shows a relative close up over five days with moons and cloud bands easily visible, followed by a second video sequence, zoomed out, over 9 days. Even though Jupiter and Saturn appeared to pass unusually close together on the sky on December 21, 2020, in actuality they were still nearly a billion…
木星─土星大近合：有大红斑参与的盛会
2020年12月23日 Jupiter Meets Saturn: A Red Spotted Great Conjunction Image Credit & Copyright: Damian Peach Explanation: It was time for their close-up. Two days ago Jupiter and Saturn passed a tenth of a degree from each other in what is known a Great Conjunction. Although the two planets pass each other on the sky every 20 years, this was the closest pass in nearly four centuries. Taken early in day of the Great Conjunction, the featured multiple-exposure combination captures not only both giant planets in a single frame, but also Jupiter’s four largest moons (left to right) Callisto, Ganymede, Io, and Europa — and Saturn’s largest moon Titan. If you look very closely, the clear Chilescope image even captures Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. The now-separating…
火山上空的大近合
2020年12月20日 A Volcanic Great Conjunction Image Credit & Copyright: Francisco Sojuel Explanation: Where can I see the Great Conjunction? Near where the Sun just set. Directionally, this close passing of Jupiter and Saturn will be toward the southwest. Since the planetary pair, the Sun, and the Earth are nearly in a geometric straight line, the planets will be seen to set just where the Sun had set — from every location on Earth. When can I see the Great Conjunction? Just after sunset. Since the two planets are so near the Sun directionally, they always appear in the sky near the Sun, but can best be seen when the Earth blocks the Sun but not the planets: sunset. Soon thereafter, Jupiter and Saturn will also…
土星与木星大近合
2020年12月15日 Great Conjunction: Saturn and Jupiter Converge Illustration Credit & Copyright: Sebastian Voltmer Explanation: It’s happening. Saturn and Jupiter are moving closer and will soon appear in almost exactly the same direction. Coincidentally, on the night of the December solstice — the longest night of the year in the north and the longest day in the south — the long-awaited Great Conjunction will occur. Then, about six days from now, Saturn and Jupiter will be right next to each other — as they are every 20 years. But this juxtaposition is not just any Great Conjunction — it will be the closest since 1623 because the two planetary giants will pass only 1/10th of a degree from each other — well less than the apparent…
2020年夏天的土星与木星
2020年12月12日 Saturn and Jupiter in Summer 2020 Image Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel (TWAN), Onur Durma Explanation: During this northern summer Saturn and Jupiter were both near opposition, opposite the Sun in planet Earth’s sky. Their paired retrograde motion, seen about every 20 years, is followed from 19 June through 28 August in this panoramic composite as they wander together between the stars in western Capricornus and eastern Sagittarius. But this December’s skies find them drawing even closer together. Jupiter and Saturn are now close, bright celestial beacons in the west after sunset. On solstice day December 21 they will reach their magnificent 20 year Great Conjunction. Then the two largest worlds in the Solar System will appear in Earth’s sky separated by only about…