The Claim: Image shows conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter
A viral image shared on Facebook claims to show the convergence of Jupiter and Saturn, in which the two planets appeared closer to each other than they have in centuries.
“Best photo I’ve seen of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn taken from an observatory in Chile,” reads a December 23 Facebook post shared more than 700 times. The text is accompanied by an alleged photo of the phenomenon with credits to @gm_astrophotography.
USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user and @ gm_astrophotography account on Instagram for comment.
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Added special effect to image
The account @gm_astrophotography originally shared the image on Dec. 21, explaining it.
“This is what the conjunction looks like through my tiny 72mm refractor telescope,” the report wrote along with a series of images of the conjunction. “Note the colorful diversion peaks coming from the planets. They are unique in that diversion peaks can differ depending on the shape and size of the planet!”
Diffraction peaks in astrophotography are “ artifacts ” that appear on images of brighter stars where rays of light pass through an obstacle on the camera lens and are curved, diffusing the light to capture a better view of the sky, according to Photographing Space . In other words, in an image of a star or planet, it is the straight rays of light that point in four directions from the object.
The Instagram user explained that the combo image of Saturn and Jupiter, each with prominent points, was captured with tape and rubber bands stretched across the front of the refractor in a symmetrical pattern of a common cross to add ‘something extra to the add image. “
The account owner added in the comments that the photo was taken in Massachusetts – not at an observatory in Chile, as claimed by the Facebook user.
What was the conjunction?
The last time Jupiter and Saturn came this close was in 1623. The conjunction peaked on December 21, but the planets appeared closer than the diameter of a full moon to December 25, USA TODAY reported.
The two planets had already moved closer together in 2020, and while the gas giants seem close, they are still millions of miles apart in the reality of space, according to Night Sky Network.
“Alignments between these two planets are quite rare, they occur once every 20 years or so, but this conjunction is exceptionally rare because of how close the planets will appear to each other,” Rice University astronomer Patrick Hartigan told earlier this month. The United States.
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Our rating: true
The image claiming to show the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn is real, judged to be TRUE, based on our research. The picture shows the conjunction on its peak night; a photography technique with a symmetrical pattern gives a special effect to the image. The photo was taken from Massachusetts. Claims that the image was taken at an observatory in Chile are partially false.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact Check: Images of Saturn, Jupiter with special effect are real