How to Photograph the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter
                     How to Photograph the 
Conjunction of Saturn and 
Jupiter
The 2020 ‘Great Conjunction’ of Saturn and 
Jupiter is the closest these planets will appear in 
the sky since 1623 – just after Galileo first 
observed them with his telescope. They are 
easy to see without special equipment, and can 
be photographed easily on DSLR cameras and 
many cell phone cameras. Here are a few tips to 
keep in mind when photographing the sky 
during December.
  
General Tips
 Jupiter and Saturn will appear brighter than 
nearly every star. They can be seen easily from 
large cities, and dark sites.
 Dark skies will allow you to see fainter stars, but 
Jupiter and Saturn are bright enough that you 
don’t necessarily need to go to a dark site to 
take compelling photos of them. If you have a 
clear view toward the southwest, you have the 
chance to take some great photos.
 Think about composition. Jupiter and Saturn will 
just appear as points of light. To make your 
photo more interesting, try to frame the planets 
 with something – the  silhouette of a tree, an 
outdoor landscape, the arch of a building, or 
even a neon sign.
 Experiment with both wide-angle and telephoto 
shots. In early December, the two planets will be 
about 2 degrees apart, and will get progressively 
close toward December 21. In order to show 
them clearly in your photos, you might use a 
wide-angle composition early in December, and 
zoom in later in the month as they get closer.
 Be sure to go outside on a few different nights, 
and see how their separation changes.
 Using a tripod will help you hold your camera 
steady while taking longer exposures. If you 
don’t have a tripod, brace your camera against 
something – a tree, a fence, or a car can all 
serve as a tripod for a several-second exposure.
  
Tips If Using A Cell Phone 
Camera
 Jupiter and Saturn will be bright enough to 
detect in many cell phone cameras. You won’t 
see additional detail by zooming in, but you 
can frame Jupiter and Saturn creatively.
 Some recent cell phones have a ‘night mode,’ 
which will automatically stabilize a long-
exposure, even without using a tripod. This 
can be great for capturing the dark foreground 
of your photo. Some phones will let you use 
‘night mode’ on exposures up to 30 seconds, if 
you also use a tripod.
  
 Many cell phones have a wide-angle lens. Try 
using this to place a subject in the foreground, 
with Jupiter and Saturn above them.
 At the time of conjunction on December 21, 
Jupiter and Saturn may be too close to separate 
clearly in your photos. Images taken a few days 
before or after the conjunction may show them 
more clearly.
  
Tips If Using A DSLR Camera
 Set your focus to Infinity (Manual Focus mode), 
so the planets will be sharp. Set your aperture 
wide open, to let in the maximum amount of 
light.
 If you have a tripod, it will help you take long 
exposures. If not, you can still take some great 
pictures with a short shutter speed (< 1/4 
second). If your camera or lens has an image 
stabilizer, be sure it is turned on.
 If you use a 200 mm telephoto lens, you should 
be able to see Jupiter's four bright moons in a 
short exposure. Saturn’s rings will usually need 
 a longer lens or a teles cope in order to resolve 
clearly.