The Great Conjunction

I would like to thank surferjake for making this story much more readable and enjoyable than I could master on my own. I am sure that the effort was much larger than what he volunteered for. I also received valuable guidance from snowbear.

This story is set in the Kruger National Park in South Africa in December 2020 at the start of the second wave of Covid-19 cases in South Africa.

For the benefit of the non-astronomer reader, a conjunction is when two planets (also regarded as 'heavenly bodies', even gods in ancient times) get close together as viewed from Earth. Since the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn are the longest of the classic planets, the period between successive conjunctions of these two planets is the longest of all planetary conjunctions at just under 20 years. A Jupiter/Saturn conjunction is therefore called a 'Great conjunction'. Due to the difference in the orbital planes of Jupiter and Saturn, the minimum separation between them differs at each conjunction and the Great conjunction of 21 December 2020 (at 20:20 South African time) was the closest since 1617 with about one tenth (1/10) of a degree between them. The 1617 Great conjunction unfortunately happened when the planets were close to the sun and could not be seen from Earth. The conjunction of 2020 was the closest seen from earth since 1214 and worth a story. I hope to do the event justice.

All characters in sexual situations, real or implied, are 18 or above.

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My name Brandon, which is appropriate for this story because my name means 'Sword'. I am a seasoned amateur astronomer from Potchefstroom (or Tlokwe) in South Africa. I just completed my BSc in physics at the North West University (renowned for their work in the field of Very High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy) and planned to continue my studies focusing on pulsars. These very high energy gamma ray emitters can be described as hot pulsating heavenly bodies.

The other two characters also have appropriate names, but that will be revealed in the story itself.

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I needed alone time after my girlfriend of the past three years dumped me without explanation. I considered myself lucky to get a reservation at the Olifants (Elephant's) Camp in the Kruger National Park at such short notice. Apparently the reservation was cancelled shortly before I called for a booking because a member of the family who booked the bungalow contracted Covid-19.

It was noon and quiet in the camp because most people were either sleeping in their air-conditioned bungalows to escape the Lowveld's summer heat or out of camp in search of the Big 5 and other animals that made the Kruger National Park a famous international tourist destination.

I, on the other hand, was strolling through the camp in a loose T-shirt, a pair of short cargo pants and a pair of sandals to stay cool in the Lowveld's heat.

My immediate mission was to find a spot where I could set up my telescope to watch Jupiter overtaking Saturn in the early hours of the night. Tonight's conjunction would be so tight that I should easily fit them into the field of view of my telescope, even at 200x magnification. More importantly, I would also be able to take a picture of them on my cell phone's camera.

My requirements for the perfect observation spot were simple. The surface must be more or less level for my telescope. It must be away from light sources to reduce the impact of stray light on the pictures that I planned to take. And lastly, the Western horizon should be free of obstructions to ensure the maximum viewing time of the event before the planets dip below the horizon.

After about two hours of searching I identified the perfect location. It was at the Western extreme of the camp with no accommodation units further out. The lights from the camp would therefore be behind me. There was a dense tree line between the nearest bungalow and my identified observation spot that would block out light coming from the bungalow. Lastly, the area towards the West had no trees for quite some distance which afforded me a low horizon. The down side of the spot was that I would utilize space that was deemed part of the bungalow, especially while setting up the telescope.

With my main objective completed, I decided to go out on a viewing drive to pass the time. I decided to take the route that wound along the Olifants river (Elephant's river) towards the East. I was not disappointed and soon saw a herd of elephants and shortly thereafter a white rhino mother with her calf. At the lookout, I saw crocodiles and hippos. On my way back I got a glimpse of a pack of wild dogs trotting through the veld.

However, I also noticed that a buildup of clouds could spoil my whole endeavor. If the clouds didn't clear, I might have been better off staying at home! I held my thumbs and hoped that the weather would start to clear soon.

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I took a refreshing shower on my return. I donned a fresh set of clothes and had an early supper in the restaurant at around 17:30. I was nervous because the cloud cover had increased to about 80% towards the west and it started to drizzle lightly.

When I finished my meal, I bought some snacks for the night at the shop and walked to my bungalow. My equipment was already in the car and I only needed to retrieve some liquid supplies for the night. When I was done, I drove to the identified viewing spot and parked my car out of the way.

It didn't take me long to get the main equipment ready and by the time the sun touched the Western horizon, I was hopeful that I would be able to take some good pictures. It was still drizzling on and off, but the cloud cover thinned out to about 50%. My optimism grew because I could already see glimpses of Jupiter through the clouds, even in the red sky glow of early dusk. I just need one clear picture after all! I decided to fetch the last load of snacks and refreshments from my car so I could settle in for the great moment while there was still enough light from the setting sun.

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"What the fuck! Are you spying on us?" The commanding voice stopped me dead in my tracks. It was an easy guess that the woman to which the voice belonged was talking to me. I have not seen any other candidates whom she could have addressed in the thirty minutes or so that I prepared for my early evening plans. And I must admit that I fitted the bill for a peeping Tom to the uninformed. I was only a few steps away from disappearing around the bungalow's corner from where I would have been out of sight. I was wearing a fresh sleeveless vest and three-quarter cargo pants, a Covid-19 mask hung around my neck and I carried a small cooler box in my one hand and a two-step kitchen ladder in the other. A baseball cap with the visor pointing backwards rounded off my peeping Tom resemblance.

I turned around to face the voice and was left speechless for a moment. The voice belonged to a woman in her mid to late twenties with dark auburn hair in an asymmetrical bob. At around five foot eight inches she made quite an impression. I guessed her body shape at around 42/28/43 with breasts that would fill a C-cup bra nicely. She wore yellow bikini shorts and a tube top with a floral design in a matching yellow. Her attire, while cool to wear in the hot humid Lowveld conditions, covered her assets well.

"Uhh, I want to take pictures......" She did not allow me to complete my sentence.

"Even worse! To put on the internet without permission I guess."

"No, no!....Of the Great conjunction......"

"Well, that's an odd way of describing it. Of admitting that you take private pictures of unsuspecting couples."

I wished that she would stop interrupting me. I took a deep breath while organizing my thoughts. "I want to take pictures of the Great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn." This rare astronomical event was widely publicized in the media over the preceding weeks and I hoped that she knew about this. This seemed to calm her down a bit but she remained suspicious.

"And the ladder? To peek through high bedroom windows to spy on great conjunctions of a different kind."

"It serves as a chair when I am viewing objects which are close to the horizon through my telescope, it works really well and it is handy for young kids to stand on if they want to have a look."

Her interrogation continued, and she was on a roll. "Why do you wear a cap if the sun is not shining? To hide your identity! And I would bet that it is your footprints back there!" She pointed in the direction behind the bungalow's corner."

"The cap is to block out stray light, like from the moon or street lights when I look into the eyepiece. And, yes, I did check out the area behind your bungalow, but it was only to make sure that I have a clear view of the Western horizon where the planets are. My telescope is already set up, come and have a look for yourself if you don't believe me."

The explanation seemed to take the final bite out of her rage. "Isn't it the thing that was on the news lately?"

"Yes, last seen this close together almost eight hundred years ago."

It seemed as if she was connecting the dots in her mind and that I was indeed not the peeping Tom that she initially suspected. "It is apparently one of the astrological highlights of 2020. And I would love to have a look at it through your telescope. I'm going that way anyway." She lifted a bag in her hand in the direction of the baboon-safe garbage bin at the back of the bungalow close to my set-up. The bounce in her tube top suggested that she was not wearing a bra. Another wise move in the Lowveld heat and one that suited me well.

I let the 'astrological event' slip. A lot of people confuse astronomy and astrology. I was sure that the conjunction would also be a big astrological event, even if I didn't believe in that shit. "By the way, I'm Brendan."

"I'm Lynn." She extended a hand to greet me but she withdrew it immediately. "Shit, I don't even have a mask, and your mask is around your neck."

"No problem, I'll keep mine on." I positioned the mask to cover my mouth and nose and turned around on my way to the telescope, while she diverted momentarily to dump the garbage in the dustbin.

I had an eight-inch Dobsonian telescope and although it was quite a common size among amateur astronomers, the telescope made a serious impression on the general public.

It seemed as if Lynn was also impressed. "Wow, how much can this one magnify?"

I expected a question like this. "You can expect to magnify up to about four hundred times with this telescope, maybe even four-fifty times, but only if the viewing conditions are good." I aimed the telescope at the Moon which was almost overhead. "The problem at high magnification is that objects move out of view fast. The higher the magnification, the faster the movement. Have a look, the magnification is only fifty times." I made a gesture to indicate that she can have a look. The Moon is one of a select few objects that amazes first timers on a telescope and I expected some form of amazement.

"Woooow! Impressive."

I was staring at her backside while she gazed into the telescope also thinking 'Wooooow'. "It's gone." She got upright and looked in my direction. If she caught me staring at her nice rear end, she did not show it.

I removed the eyepiece and fitted my cellphone to the imaging adapter, realigned the telescope and took a picture of the moon. Lynn was impressed and asked me to take a similar picture with her phone.

Our fingers touched when she handed the phone to me. This sent my heart racing. I reminded myself that I am here for alone time, although I started to doubt my feelings about it.

Lynn forwarded the lunar picture to some of her contacts and then looked at me. "So, you are an amateur astrologer?"

I turned round to face her. "Actually, I am an amateur astroNOmer." After a dramatic silence, I continued. "And I explore heavenly bodies!" As I said this, I moved my head as if scanning the sky for the stars while my hand swept casually in her direction.

She smiled when I looked down again and our eyes met. "And how would you feel if the heavenly body that you are exploring, is exploring you as well?"

My heart rate picked up dramatically. Was she flirting, implying that she would be interested in exploring me? I would describe myself as 'somewhat attractive'. I do go to the gym often but I'm not at all cover page material for a men's health magazine. And my ego tells me that I am slightly above average downstairs in length and in girth. So I'm neither Stallone nor stallion! I took the challenge and abandoned the alone time idea.

I noticed that the pair of planets was in a sizable break in the clouds. I aligned the telescope and took a picture. "I would say that the heavenly body and I have a common interest that justifies closer exploration." I removed my phone from the telescope and showed her the result.

"Fuuuuck, this is awesome! Can you see this for real?"

I returned the eyepiece to the telescope and centered the view on the planet pair. When done I told her to sit on the ladder and have a look. I also used the opportunity to visually explore her from behind in the moonlight.

"Awwwwwwesommmmmme, I cannot believe that I can actually see Saturn's rings so clearly. Seriously, is this real?"

I could not hide my smile. Saturn is yet another celestial object that leaves an impression on first time viewers. "Yes, it is real." I tap lightly on the telescope tube. "See how they jiggle when I tap."

"It's gone, but can I also have a picture of this, pleeeaaase?" Lynn jumped up and down in excitement. Her bouncing tits captured my attention until long after she stopped jumping. Her hand on my shoulder brought me back to the present.

She didn't comment and handed me her phone. Our hands touched, more deliberately and for much longer than necessary. I got the setup ready and noticed on her phone that the time is 19:54 which leaves me with less than thirty minutes to get better pictures.

"So how far can you see with this telescope?"

I did not answer directly but retrieved my green laser pointer from my accessory case. I scanned the North Western horizon for the great square of Pegasus after which I located the object that I was looking for. I aimed the laser in that direction. "Can you see that cloudy smudge over there?"

"Yes."

"Well, you are looking at the Andromeda galaxy with your naked eyes. It is two million light years away! So, how far do you want to see with the telescope?" I placed some emphasis on the word 'naked' and could see that Lynn picked up on it.

I did not expect an answer so I returned the laser pointer to my accessory case and turned my attention back to the conjunction where Jupiter and Saturn were playing peek-a-boo between small breaks in the cloud cover. A large break in the clouds allowed me to take a few pictures on Lynn's phone. I swapped phones in the adapter and handed Lynn's back to her.

She immediately sent an image to a selection of her contacts along with some text.

"Where is Orion?"

Orion is a well-known constellation and I wasn't surprised that Lynn wanted to show that she knew something.

I summarily grabbed my laser pointer from the box and pointed it in the direction of Rigel, the bright star that represents Orion's foot, to show her the main stars of the constellation. The laser beam flashed for a moment and faded away before I could point out the star. After a few attempts, I realized that I accidentally took my broken laser from the case. In an attempt to see the beam, Lynn stood closer to me with her shoulder rubbing against mine. Then I recalled a stargazing fantasy which fitted the situation like a glove. "It's very temperamental, you never know when it will work or not." I returned the laser to the case.

"Let me try this." I positioned myself behind Lynn and pointed my right hand towards Sirius, trying to align my forearm with her right eye. "See that bright star, the brightest one in the area?"

It took me a few joyful minutes pointing out Sirius and from there Rigel and Betelgeuse with Lynn's body that pushed back into mine, as in my fantasy. Her firm bum worked my penis into an erection which was noticed by Lynn. She in turn used every excuse to move her rear end to stimulate me more and more.

This worked out better than in my fantasy, so I decided to take the next step. I curled my left hand over her tummy to restrain her movement while I pointed out Saiph and Bellatrix. When she didn't object, I proceeded with the next step of my fantasy and moved my hand to cup her one breast while trying to concentrate on my directions to asterisms within Orion such as his belt, sword and shield.

I was about to start playing with her nipple when my cell phone alarm went off. I snapped back to reality. I totally forgot about the conjunction! Luckily, Jupiter and Saturn were in a large break in the clouds. I was torn between taking the pictures of the conjunction and continuing to pleasure Lynn.

"You better stop your alarm." At least Lynn was thinking clearly.

I reluctantly tore myself away from Lynn and dismissed the alarm. With apologetic eyes I looked in Lynn's direction. "Sorry, this only happens once in four hundred years."

"No problem. I do understand that you won't be around for the next one." Lynn came closer to watch what I was doing.

I started taking pictures from about 20:18 until clouds obscured the pair at around 20:25. In total I took about a dozen pictures.

I replaced the camera adapter with the eyepiece and pointed the telescope at the Great Orion nebula. I offered Lynn a view and explained that it is a cloud of gas that was illuminated by four stars, arranged in the form of a trapezium -- and known as the Trapezium, inside the cloud.

"Where is it?" Lynn came and stood in front of me, looking towards the Eastern horizon where my telescope was pointing. Without ceremony she pressed her buttocks back into my pubic area and stirred my half subsided erection back to life." It was clear that Lynn wanted to continue where we were before the interruption.

I saw it as an invitation to slip my hand around her waist and cup her breast again. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that her breast was naked. As soon as my hand cupped her breast, I felt the tube top being pulled back over my hand to conceal the activity. Without further invitation, I started to massage the mount and to play with the cherry nipple on top.

With my free hand I pointed in the direction of Orion's sword. "When you asked where Orion was, I planned to show you Orion's sword and where . . . . " I could not continue. Lynn pulled my mask down and planted her lips on mine.

After giving me a sensual kiss she whispered "A sword you say?.....Are you Orion? I think I can feel your sword." She reached back with both hands and untied the drawstrings of my knee length cargo pants before working her hand inside and took my erect penis in her hand. "I would rather explore the sword within reach than the one in the sky if you don't mind."

Since my hand was no longer required to point out stars, I put it to better use and slipped it into her shorts. "Only if the heavenly body does not mind being explored in return." Lynn didn't object, so I pulled the crotch of her thong aside to allow my fingers to explore the inside of her shaven nether lips.

"Where is Virgo?"

"Are you?" I doubted if Lynn was a virgin because she definitely knew what she was doing to my 'sword' as well as in the way she kissed me.

"No on both accounts, just curious. I'm a Capricorn!"

"Both are below the horizon. You cannot stand in for a Capricorn, so I guess you'll have to stand in for the virgin!" My one hand was now playing with her hard nipple, rolling it between my thumb, index finger and middle finger or squeezing it between fingers. The other hand worked the middle finger into her smooth and slippery inner lips to work her clit. "I always wanted to fuck a virgin."