It’s been cloudy in the evenings this week even when it hasn’t been raining. So I never saw the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn last Monday. Tonight, the weather was very different. A beautiful evening, though cold, and a slightly hazy sunset. The re-appearance of Mars above a waxing moon embroidered the pretty skyscape shortly after the 1610 sunset. I set up the camera and spent almost an hour moving and adjusting my tripod, practicing with numb, gloved fingers in the failing light. I chose to take photographs of some of the many people taking selfies while bathed in the golden sunset.
Then Jupiter made its appearance at 1650. And shortly after, I could also see Saturn with an unaided eye. The camera, and the 900 mm lens, could detect three (perhaps four) of Jupiter’s moons and almost resolve Saturn.
Fuji X-T3 with Sigma 150-600 F5-6.3 DG OS HSM : 900 mm: 1/30 sec f/6.3 ISO 1600 on tripod
© Simon Robinson 2020
Then it was time for dinner. There was some very good news about a Brexit deal, a gift perhaps, a reward for the altruistic isolations that ensure the health of everyone else.
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