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I was on my phones astronomy app, called Star Walk, and I was scrolling through the dates to see if something interesting is coming up. I came across something on January 11th, 2022 at 6:00 PM US Mountain Time at my location. I am attaching a screenshot of it.
Starwalk
As you can see, Mercury and Saturn are close to each other on this date, according to the app.
My question is as follows, is this a conjunction? Can someone help me figure this out?
I plan on trying to get a photo of Mercury tonight and tomorrow if the skies and wind conditions permit.
Jared
Celestron Nexstar 8SE Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
25mm plossl Eyepiece
Goto mount
Iphone 11 Nightcap app Camera
"Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude."
Because they are near each other, they are near conjunction. The definition of a conjunction is that the objects have either the same right ascension or the same ecliptic longitude. The latter definition is older and IMO more correct but practically speaking the difference is slight.
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
Thanks for giving me that definition. To be honest, I thought conjunction meant that they were close to each other, not the definition you said.
If they’re close, I’ll try to get a picture of it tomorrow or tonight, depending on the sky. It’s not every day this happens.
Celestron Nexstar 8SE Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
25mm plossl Eyepiece
Goto mount
Iphone 11 Nightcap app Camera
"Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude."
Jnicholes wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 5:12 pm
Thanks for giving me that definition. To be honest, I thought conjunction meant that they were close to each other, not the definition you said.
If they’re close, I’ll try to get a picture of it tomorrow or tonight, depending on the sky. It’s not every day this happens.
The ecliptic longitude definition was the one used by Ptolemy, Copernicus, Tycho, Kepler, Newton and all the old boys going back to Sumerian astrologers. The right ascension definition is a modern revision presumably because it's easier than computing an ecliptic longitude and it isn't used by contemporary astrologers.
If you can get a pic, please post!
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
I will try to get a picture, but I’m not sure how visible Saturn is going to be. It’s pretty close to the sun.
It won’t stop me from trying, though.
Celestron Nexstar 8SE Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
25mm plossl Eyepiece
Goto mount
Iphone 11 Nightcap app Camera
"Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude."
notFritzArgelander wrote: ↑Mon Jan 10, 2022 4:58 pm
The definition of a conjunction is that the objects have either the same right ascension or the same ecliptic longitude. The latter definition is older and IMO more correct but practically speaking the difference is slight.
I grabbed a quick picture of Mercury last night. If you are going to take one you might want to see if you can catch Mercury again just before sunrise around the first part of February when it gets to its greatest western elongation.
Rob Telescopes: 50mm refractor, ED80 triplet, 90mm makcass, 10" dob, 8"SCT, 11"SCT
Mounts: Celestron CGX, Orion Sirius + several camera tripods
Cameras: Canon 6D, Canon 80D, ZWO-ASI120MC
Binoculars: 10x50, 12x60, 15x70, 25-125x80
Observatory: SkyShed POD XL3 + 8x12 warm room
AL Projects Completed: Lunar #645, Outreach #0280, Universe Sampler #93-T, Binocular Messier #871, Messier #2521, Messier Honorary #2521, Constellation Hunter Northern Skies #112, Planetary Transit Venus #1, Galileo #26, Outreach Stellar 0280, Meteor Regular #157, Solar System Telescopic #209-I, Observer Award #1
AL Projects Currently in Process: Double Stars, Comet, Lunar Evolution