Moon Meets Planets December 6-9 2021

Watch Moon Meets Bright Planet at Sunset

Over the course of just three days, from December 6 to 9, look towards the southwestern sky after sunset for the beautiful sight of the slim crescent Moon pairing up with three neighbouring planets. On December 6 it will will first have a close encounter with Venus. Then on December 7 it will appear near Saturn, and finally on December 8/9 it will join Jupiter. On each evening,  cosmic pairings will appear only a few degrees apart, creating a wonderful view for the unaided eye and of course through  binoculars too. But don’t wait too long to look. They will set quickly. 

When two of the brightest celestial objects, like the Moon and brilliant planets have close encounters like these, it can  really capture any skywatcher's attention, which makes them ideal sky events for showcasing during public stargazing events, or for inspiring young sky enthusiasts and novices to the hobby to look up at the night sky.


Capture the Moment!

This encounters between the Moon and these three bright planets will also be an amazing photo opportunity that can show everyone that we all share the same sky, no matter where we live on this good planet Earth.

Even with a smartphone it is easy to snap your own souvenir photo of this eye-catching celestial event.  We invite you to share your photo with us on your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter channels by using the hashtag #onepeopleonesky and we'll make sure to share it with the world.

Quick Tips for Photographing the Conjunction

1. Scout out ahead of time the ideal picturesque location to take your photo and identify where the moon will appear to be positioned from your spot

2. Identify the exact time of the sunset from your location (use timeanddate.com) 

3. Watch the weather! Remember that some of the most beautiful photos will come when it's actually not a totally       clear sky, but there are a few scattered clouds to add depth to your composition. 

4. Be patient and take plenty of photos

5.. Adjust your brightness to make the foreground dark, and if shooting away from the light, make the image brighter.

6. iPhone owners should try using HDR setting to improve exposure of your photo

7.. Use panorama mode to capture contrast and depth

8. Consider adding a subject to the photo like a buildings, trees, animals, people as clearly outlined silhouettes.


Remember to keep safe
Follow all local health regulations regarding COVID-19 when photographing in public areas.

Joshua Tree, California/2020    Photo Credit: Steven Wilcox/Unsplash