The Great Conjunction - Jupiter and Saturn passing Burj Khalifa

On December 21st 2020 something very rare is happening: The largest planets in our solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will be at their closest observable in 800 years. This event, dubbed the “Great Conjunction”, happens regularly, but the planets have not been this close and at the same time visible from the earth since then.

I set out to try and capture this event in a different perspective 2 days before the date, where the planets were already incredibly close. The goal was to photograph them passing the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa, in Dubai.

It was a cloudy evening but due to travels this was my only chance, and luckily some gaps in the sky enabled me to capture the videos and photos below. This was truly one of the most mind-blowing things I’ve ever seen through my camera’s viewfinder.

Enjoy.

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The Rub Al Khali and the Emirates National Car Museum

 

A three hour drive from Dubai takes you the Rub Al Khali, the largest uninterrupted sand desert in the world, with its beautiful tall red dunes. At the edge and close to the border to Saudi Arabia lies Qasr Al Sarab, a beautiful Anantara hotel with amazing views.

On the way there you can find the Emirates National Auto Museum, definitely one of the more unexpected UAE attractions. Situated in a lonely pyramid-shaped building off the road towards Liwa, it features the collection of HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. Cars include such special vehicles as the world’s largest truck, a Rolls Royce used by the Queen, an 1885 Mercedes and his rainbow colour collection of S class

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Took the opportunity to shoot a timelapse video of the Milky Way over the desert from 2 am into the sunrise. Watch below.

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Milky Way Panorama

My first attempt at a Milky Way Panorama, shot over the Rub Al Khali.

Rub Al Khali

While this is the "empty quarter" there are still a few sources of light, mostly power lines and oil fields.

Multipresence

A stacked exposure with the obligatory flashlight.

The Core

The bright star is Jupiter - what else can you spot?

Castle in the Sand

The Palace of Mirage truly lives up to its name.

Sunrise

An early morning shot after a night out on Milky Way hunt.

Castle Walls

Like a true palace, Qasr Al Sarab has a few wall around it.

Architecture

Typical arabic architecture and lamps adorn the building.

Green bits

Plants are a rare luxury in this part of the desert.

Entrance

The main gate into the hotel.

Palace Quarters

The building features several wings spread over multiple floors.

The Royal Pavillion

Somewhat secluded (even more so) are the Royal Villas of the resort.

Dunes

The dune in front of the hotel is a popular sunset spot.

The House Dune

The Rub Al Khali features some of the tallest dunes in the world. The white spots in the bottom third? Gazelles!

Water Hole

A small pond attracts gazelles and other animals.

Up

It's a tough walk up the house dune.

Sunset

Desert sunsets always evoke a special atmosphere.

Qasr Al Sarab

A view of the full resort.

Sand tones

The sands in the Rub Al Khali are darker and of more intense colours than in the northern parts of the UAE.

Dawn

As the new day begins before sunrise, the air is clear and fresh.

Spots

Every corner brings a new view of the desert and the palace's architecture.

Valley

A small valley between the dunes is home to a few spots of greenery, with the Milky Way behind.

Shadow

The iPhone flashlight made for a different type of selfie.

Panorama

Qasr Al Sarab was built in between three dunes.

Oryx Warning

Didn't spot one this time - but what majestic animals they are.

Valleys

The typical Rub Al Khali scenery, showing valleys with afew plants surrounded by tall dunes.

The Earth on Wheels

Scale unknown.

History

The oldest car in the collection is an 1885 steam powered Mercedes.

The Museum

The building is pyramid shaped, and completely open inside, with two floors of cars.

In the Distance

Many of the UAE's and Saudi's largest oil fields are located in this part of the Arabian peninsula.

Mix

Yellow taxis, police cars, you name it!

Rainbow Collection

One of the most famous collections of Mercedes cars, as Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, was also known as the 'Rainbow Sheikh'.

Guiness World Record

The world's largest Jeep - it actually runs! For scale, the tires are about 4m in diameter.