The planets will be 6' apart on Monday, 12/21. That fits nicely in my 15' FOV. But after dusk they will be below my horizon. :(
But what about daylight observing?
I have a CMOS camera (on a 12" f5.6 system) and using SharpCap software can run it at 12fps. I tried it out earlier this week; I posted the session on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A6PhHtoZ_A&feature=youtu.be
It worked! We even convinced our selves that we could see Jupiter's moons. It was helpful to have an orrerey availiable like https://shallowsky.com/jupiter/
So next chance get out there and sort out the details so you can be ready on Monday.
tips:
- Be CAREFUL: The sun is a eye and camera killer.
Cover your guide scopes. Don't uncover your main tube until you are sure you are not looking at the sun
- You are going to need a scope that wakes up knowing precisely where it is pointing. There are no guide stars to help you find the target. My scope is pretty good, but still I needed to do some hunting around to find Jupiter
- Make sure your focus is set. This low contrast target is difficult enough. After your last night observing get it set on your filter of choice and leave it focused. I had luck using an I filter to beat down the blue signal from the sky.
- Do this in a zoom session so you can invite your friends and family. What a great Christmas Gift!
Cheers,
George