Alignment Check

5:13 pm CST, Saturday, December 24, 2022. 0.3 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 200, 11mm focal length. Christmas Eve planetary alignment panorama, looking east (left) to west (right) from the grounds at Noelridge Christian Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: -1.43 magnitude Mars, -2.41 magnitude Jupiter (top), 0.81 Saturn, Moon, -0.28 Mercury and -3.91 Venus (just above tree). Air temperature was 6 degrees F, with wind chills around -20 degrees F. After just a few minutes out in the frigid elements, my body started to shiver uncontrollably--forcing me to high-tail it back to my nearby running vehicle to warm up, then emerge to go back out again. I had to do this twice. I was happy I was able to include all the visible planets (and moon) into a single panoramic image, because of my haste to get back to warmth!

                      Identical image from one at top, but with planet identifications. The planets Uranus, Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto were also present, but too dim to see. Their positions are shown in this image as well. The following evening (Christmas Day) offered an even better alignment viewing opportunity for this location, but cloud cover and snowfall would prevent it. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.