Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction ISO 400, f/5.6, 1 second 448mm equivalent focal length |
On December 21, 2020, the winter solstice and the date of the closest conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, the sky was socked in with snow and clouds. Two nights later the skies cleared and I ventured out in the cold to view the planets. I was happy to see them and to be able to record a couple photos before the pair set behind the mountain ridge.
Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction ISO 400, f/5.6, 1 second 156mm equivalent focal length |
I could also see Mars above a first quarter moon, but the planet was so small that it did not appear visible in my images, though my moon shot was perfect following the "Moony 11" exposure rule, a variation of "Sunny 16".
Quarter Moon ISO 100, f/11, 1/100 second 156mm equivalent focal length, cropped |
Moony 11 recommends setting an aperture of f/11 and setting the shutter speed to match the ISO. Because my camera was locked down on a tripod and the moon was bright enough to cast shadows, I used ISO 100. So my exposure was f/11 at ISO 100 and 1/100 second.