Astronomy Picture of the Day - Saturn and Jupiter over Italian Peaks

APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 20 Oct, 2020 | Image Credit & Copyright: Giorgia Hofer

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Saturn and Jupiter are getting closer. Every night that you go out and check for the next two months, these two bright planets will be even closer together on the sky. Finally, in mid-December, a Great Conjunction will occur -- when the two planets will appear only 0.1 degrees apart -- just one fifth the angular diameter of the full Moon. And this isn't just any Great Conjunction -- Saturn (left) and Jupiter (right) haven't been this close since 1623, and won't be nearly this close again until 2080. This celestial event is quite easy to see -- already the two planets are easily visible toward the southwest just after sunset -- and already they are remarkably close. Pictured, the astrophotographer and partner eyed the planetary duo above the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Three Peaks of Lavaredo) in the Italian Alps about two weeks ago.

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then zoom by moving the magnifying glass over an area and then clicking. The side bars will move the zoomed area over the photograph.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list.

Hidden in today's post, the folks at NASA have hidden a cat and a dog. It should not be too hard to find both of them because they are close together.

[BenLurkin]

Nice.

[blueunicorn6]

I tease you a lot, but I do appreciate the photos you post.

[MtnClimber]

Good, you can buy me a cheeseburger some day!

[Repeal The 17th]

Ghostbusters:
Dr. Peter Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor: What do you mean, “biblical”?
Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly.
Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling.
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes…
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria.

[Paladin2]

Those Peaks look like some tough sledding...

[AFB-XYZ]

Oh my word. That’s absolutely breathtaking.

I need to find some new adjectives to describe such superlative beauty. :-)

[freedumb2003]

I thought by Italian Peaks you meant Sophia Loren in her glory days.

[jimfree]

Amazing. Thank you!

[Telepathic Intruder]

Is the cat wearing a red coat?

[1FreeAmerican]

Been watching both out my back yard for several weeks now.

Plus, to the East, Mars in the evening and Venus at sunrise.

[mosesdapoet]

Great stuff as always
Any chance of showing a picture of that ORISIS spacecraft which is suppose to grab a sample off an asteroid

[goodnesswins]

Thx...this is a nice respite from the daily craziness

[pax_et_bonum]

Beautiful.

Thanks for posting!!!

[MtnClimber]

Any chance of showing a picture of that ORISIS spacecraft which is suppose to grab a sample off an asteroid

OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft at the Start of Assembly Operations

[MtnClimber]

Is the cat wearing a red coat?

Nope.

My first hint was:

they are close together

My second hint is:

Go to the APOD.NASA link in the post and look at the blue-highlighted links in the Explanation. The NASA people often hide links to cats and dogs in the Explanation.

[piasa]

A cat and a dog sleeping together... Oh my!

[MtnClimber]

OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Assembled Technicians at a Lockheed Martin Space clean room near Denver, Colorado, install the high gain antenna and solar arrays onto the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft prior to the start of environmental testing. Date Taken: Oct. 12, 2015 Credit: Lockheed Martin