Why does the weather go all 'Pete Tong' when something celestial and rare happens?

 

These two images were taken from the Jodrell Plank Observatory within twenty four hours of the closest conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter on the 21st of December 2020. Prior to this, we captured a number images using a variety of camera-lens combinations. - Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

These three images were taken on the 17th of December 2020 when Saturn and Jupiter were joined by the new crescent Moon. Even seen through hazy cloud, this was a very beautiful meeting of three very different and distant celestial bodies. The Moon looks quite mysterious in the composite image put together by our astro-student Reggie Stax. Reggie used the Observatory's old Meade ETX Ra Maksutov Scope, punching above it's weight over 20 stargazing years. - Joel Cairo CEO of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Using the 66mm Altair Astro Doublet refractor as a telescopic lens, we captured this image of Saturn (centre left) and Jupiter (centre right) with its retinue of four Galilean Moons. Sadly the resolving power of this set up was insufficient to show Saturn's rings or its larger moons!

These two images were captured on the 6th of December 2020 through a lot of high level hazy cloud. - Karl Seguine community outreach coordinator at the Jodrell Plank Observatory