Jupiter and Saturn Conjunction 2020 - a photo on Flickriver

Jupiter and Saturn Conjunction 2020

Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia

*Press L or left click on the photo for best viewing.

The Past: the Stone House (1848)
The Present: the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, 20 December 2020
The Future: the Park Ranger who unbeknownst to me is about to chase me out of the park…

The Great Conjunction hasn’t happened in almost 400 years, since 1623; Jupiter and Saturn aligned in the night sky to form a single bright point on December 21, 2020. A similar event over 2000 years ago is thought by some historians to be the Star of Bethlehem that led the wise men to the Infant Jesus.

What you see here was supposed to be a practice shot the night before but wound up being my best photo of this little adventure.

I have been planning this photo since I found out about the celestial event taking place…it will not happen again until 2080. I have wanted to try my hand at landscape astrophotography for a while, and this event was perfect for a first time. The Stone House is such a wonderful and iconic historic building and its relatively remote location was ideal for the angle needed to see the conjunction (between 220˚ and 240˚).

The Stone House served as an impromptu field hospital for not just one, but two massive battles of the American Civil War: the first major battle of the war First Manassas (Bull Run according to the North, July 21, 1861), and it’s even more tragic follow up Second Manassas (Second Bull Run, August 28 - 30, 1862). The grounds around it were fought over in both battles and several artillery shells are still lodged in its walls. While it sits just under a mile away from the main battlefield, it is part of Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Well preserved and photogenic, the Stone House is very easy to visit with its own parking lot outside the main National Park area and a convenient location…too convenient as it turned out. The car light trails from the nearby intersection proved to give off too much light pollution.

I had just taken this shot, only my second of the night, and was in the process of adjusting to another shot due to the light pollution present when a Park Ranger showed up, lights blaring on her patrol car. She chased out two other photographers from the parking lot, but I foolishly hoped she would ignore me. No such luck.

“The park closed an hour ago sir,” she said through her patrol car window. She followed me out of the parking lot, flashing lights still on.

And the Great Conjunction dropped behind a cloud by the time I found another location. And the following nights were full cloud cover. Lucky I got this shot! PhotoPills and StarWalk 2 for planning, and Capture One for post processing.

Selected for FLICKR Explore December 22, 2020, # 81.

Link to ~My best photos~

*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***

Taken in: United States / Virginia / Groveton (show map)

Taken on: December 20, 2020

Tags:

America

USA

US more »

United States

North America

Jupiter

Saturn

Conjunction

December

2020

astrophotography

planet

Stone House

1848

Manassas National Battlefield Park

National Park

American Civil War

First Manassas

Bull Run

Second Manassas

Second Bull Run

history

historical

architecture

building

monument

split rail fence

night

sky

landscape

paysage

paisaje

paesaggio

Landschaft

horizon

trees

silhouette

shadow

light trails

Nikon

mirrorless

Nikkor

20mm

PhotoPills

Star Walk 2

Capture One

Explore

elitegalleryaoi

aoi

bestcapturesaoi

GSB

long exposure « less

Sets appears in: • Best Photos: 800+ Favorites • USA more » • Night Photography « less

Groups appears in: • 28mm or wider • Nikkor more » • Christian Photographer Fellowship • Capture One • Art of Images ~ AOI L1~ ( Post 1, Award 3) NO "AI Portraits" • The Best Captures AOI~AOI L2~ Admin Invite) (P1-Award & Fave3) • Daarklands - Moderated & Curated • ✢~ Legacy Gallery ~✢ Moderated & Curated • The Elite Gallery AOI~AOI L3~(Admin Invite) (NEW RULES) • ~ Shining Pieces Of The World! ~ Admin. Invite ~ OPEN • LA VIE EN ROSE ( Admin Invite Only ) • dreams I'll dream.. by invitation ~ P1/C3 • "The Pinnacle of Photography" - Moderated & Curated • give us this day.. by admin invitation (P1 - A2) • Geotagged: Virginia • Phoenix Gold (P1 A3 Sweeper) • Colore mio mondo .. by invitation.. P1/C2 • l'espace de vie ~ by invitation only ~ P1/A2 • Prestige Photography (Admin invited image only) • Le Cercle (P1 A2) • **Optical Excellence Level 1 ~ Admin Moderated • Prestige Photography - Masterpieces • Prestige Photography - The very best • COLL. par Impatience_1 * ARCHITECTURE * Adm Inv. • Evocando El Pasado * Evoking the Past * • NIGHT FOTO (P1 - A1) • in explore • it happened one night ~ by Admin approval (p1 - c2) • Prestige Photography - Hall of Fame • Greenscene ~ Admin Invite ~ • LUNA PHOTOS - (P1 - A2) • Best Photo of the Day! - No AI Images • High Class Photography (invite only) • DSLR GRANDMASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY • The Enlightened - Landscape Photography • DSLR Autofocus Level 4 • Carolina's farm friends - P1/C3 • Nikon Full Frame Mirrorless Z7 • DSLR Autofocus Level 2 • DSLR Autofocus Level 3 • DSLR Autofocus Level 5 • DSLR Autofocus Level 6 • DSLR Autofocus Level 7 • 750 Favorites • DSLR Autofocus Hall of Fame • Views: 20,000 • DSLR Autofocus Level 1 • La quête du "GRAAL" (P1 A2) Sweeper • DSLR Autofocus MASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY • Best Photo of the Week (Invitation Membership Only) • 100 YEARS & OLDER • **Special Landscapes** • Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S lens • DSLR Autofocus Premier Gallery • 4 Phoenix Gold (P1 A3 Sweeper) • 10 Phoenix Gold (P1 A3 Sweeper) • 7 Phoenix Gold (P1 A3 Sweeper) • 20 Phoenix Gold (P1 A3 Sweeper) « less

Camera: Nikon Z 7, f/1.8, 10 sec, 20mm, ISO 160 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon Z 7
Lens:	NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S
Aperture:	f/1.8
Exposure Time:	10
Focal Length:	20mm
ISO:	160
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Capture One 20 Macintosh
Show full info

Stats: 36,306 views / 434 comments