GREAT CONJUNCTION 2020

 Location:  Lower West-Side, Saint John, NB, Canada

Date Time:  December 23, 2020 1745-1805hrs

Weather:  Gusty 25km/hr winds from the north, -4.7C, humidity 69%, mostly clear except for considerable clouds around the western, northern and southern horizons.

Attendance:  David McCashion

Equipment:  Canon Rebel t3 with 18-55mm and 75-300 lenses.  Image processed for text on Photoshop.

Objective:  To view and image Jupiter and Saturn, two days after the historic conjunction on Dec 21, 2020, when they were 1/10th of a degree apart.  

Report:  This conjunction was an amazing sight in the evening twilight!

A long stretch of cloudiness(almost a week) prevented viewing and imaging this amazing conjunction on Dec 21.  This was when the conjunction was at its closest.

I would estimate that the planets were about one half of a degree apart at observing time. 

Shortly after this image was taken, clouds covered this area of the sky for several minutes.  When the planets reappeared, it was through increasing and decreasing cloudiness and haziness.

Also noteworthy during observing time was a close pairing of a young waxing gibbous Moon and Mars.  They were about 5 degrees apart.

Single shot, 3 second ISO 400, f/5.6.

GEMINIDS 2020

 Location:  Saint John West, NB, Canada

Date Time:  December 14, 2020 0120-0153hrs

Weather:  Slight breeze, mostly clear through observing time, which was the only break in the clouds in days.  Cool, 2.3C, 99% humidity.

Attendance:  David McCashion

Equipment:  None.

Objective:  To view as many Geminid meteors as possible, during a short break in the cloud cover.

Report:

The sky cleared from 0120 to 0153am.  It was mostly to completely cloudy before and after observing time.

I faced mostly North East, towards Ursa Major, and South East towards Leo.  Seen 20 Geminids.  All observed meteors were Geminids  There were no sparodics.  This included 1 bolide at 0125 hrs, which descended slowly down through the handle of big dipper, straight into uptown Saint John from my vantage point.  The bolide was easily twice as big and bright as Venus, and appeared to wobble and slow down as it dropped.

Most meteors were fast, short/medium period of about 1 mag brightness, brilliant white color.  Some had yellow ting.  A few were very short period, were very fast and fainter.

There was a meteor grouping around Ursa Major at around 0130 hrs, then another grouping to the south of Leo at around 0145 hrs.  Seen two Geminids around Orion, through the oncoming clouds.