Convergence Over Cerro Pachón

Jupiter, Venus and the Moon Converge over Observatories: Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope operator Carlos Corco obtained this image of the recent conjunction of Jupiter, Venus and the Moon (right) over the 8-meter Gemini South telescope (left) on Cerro Pachón in Chile. A conjunction is the apparent meeting of two or more celestial bodies in the night sky. Also visible (in the distance, just right of center) is the silhouette of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) which is currently under construction. In late 2022, LSST is slated to begin an unprecedented, decade-long, survey of the night sky in optical wavelengths, surveying the entire visible sky every few nights. Using an 8.4-meter mirror (with an effective aperture of about 6.7 meters) and the largest digital camera ever fabricated for optical astronomy, LSST will shed light on astronomical questions ranging from the nature of dark matter and dark energy to the contents of our own Solar System.