On 20/12/2020 17:19, gareth evans wrote:
Just been out (17:00 PM on Sun 2th Dec) to spot the impending
occlusion of Saturn by Jupiter.

At about 11 o'clock from Jupiter and about "a couple of mm"
away is another, fainter, object.

Would this be Saturn?

Yes. It is obvious in a small scope. It was very pretty tonight with
saturns rings and the belts and Galilean satellites of Jupiter clearly
visible in anything that can deliver 20x magnification.

Both planets in the same field of view for a couple of days either side
of the closest approach so worth a look low in the SW skies just after
sunset if you have any kind of small telescope or binoculars.

Mars is the bright red thing higher in the sky.

Needed to take my chances now because overcast cloud is
forecast and, also, Jupiter will be setting shortly
in the SW sky.

They will be slightly closer together tomorrow. BTW it is strictly an
appulse when they are closest together and a conjunction when they have
the same right ascension (sort of thing Astrologers obsess about)

--
Regards,
Martin Brown