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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Jupiter and Saturn Great Conjunction: The Movie
APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 30 Dec, 2020 | Video Credit: Thanakrit Santikunaporn (National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand); Text:

Posted on 12/30/2020 2:55:26 PM PST by MtnClimber

Today's image is a video at link.

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 kilometers apart. The two gas giants are destined for similar meet ups every 19.86 years. However, they had not come this close, angularly, for the past 397 years, and will not again for another 60 years. If you're willing to wait until the year 7541, though, you can see Jupiter pass directly in front of Saturn.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; conjunction; jupiter; movie; nasa; saturn; science; society
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).
1 posted on 12/30/2020 2:55:26 PM PST by MtnClimber
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; abb; AFB-XYZ; America_Right; Art in Idaho; AZ .44 MAG; ...
A video again today. Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌


2 posted on 12/30/2020 2:56:05 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

The dog is “willing to wait”.


3 posted on 12/30/2020 3:13:29 PM PST by Repeal The 17th (Get out of the matrix and get a real life.)
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To: Repeal The 17th

Good dog!


4 posted on 12/30/2020 4:02:58 PM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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bump


5 posted on 12/30/2020 4:22:53 PM PST by foreverfree
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