  The great conjunction of 21 December 2020 saw Jupiter and Saturn appear
together in the sky, separated by just a tenth of a degree (equivalent to a
distance five times smaller than the diameter of the full Moon). This provided
a potential once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the solar system's two
biggest planets - and up to five of their moons - through a telescope eyepiece
at the same time. Moreover, this was the first such opportunity, ever; previous
observable conjunctions at similarly close separations took place before the
development of the telescope in the early 1600s. Our team of scientists from
the University of Exeter's Astrophysics Group and Exeter Science Centre worked
with local social enterprises to develop a series of promotional and concurrent
events to tie in with our live telescope broadcast of Jupiter and Saturn, to
celebrate this spectacular celestial event. We hoped not only to inform and
educate the public about great conjunctions, and the solar system more
generally, but also to bring some light relief in what had been a rather
difficult year.
