Astronomy: Observe Jupiter which will be closest to us on Monday

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AstronomyObserve Jupiter which will be closest to us on Monday

It had been since 1963 that the gas giant had not come so close to Earth. With binoculars, one should see its moons; with a telescope its spot.

We could even see bands and the spot of Jupiter.

NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley)

Monday evening, September 26, Jupiter will be 591 million kilometers from Earth. It’s huge, but it’s still the closest distance since 1963. The orbits around the Sun of Jupiter and the Earth are not perfect circles, the distance separating the two planets varies constantly. At its furthest point from us, Jupiter is more than 900 million kilometers away.

On Monday, the planet will be in opposition, that is to say that for us, it will be opposite the Sun. It will therefore rise in our sky in the east when the Sun sets in the west. This opposition occurs every 13 months, but this one is very special given the exceptional proximity of the gas giant. Indeed, it is extremely rare for Jupiter to be closest to us and in opposition at the same time.

The viewing conditions should therefore be extraordinary. “With good binoculars, the bands (at least the central band) of the planet and three or four of the Galilean satellites (moons) should be visible,” said Adam Kobelski, research astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, quoted speak «Daily Mail».

That's what you can expect to see with a good optical instrument.

That’s what you can expect to see with a good optical instrument.

Skysafari

With a telescope or a telescope, we should even be able to observe Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. The ideal is to choose a place away from light pollution and go out a few hours after sunset. Look eastward at the horizon and look up for the brightest object in the sky other than the Moon. Jupiter has also been clearly visible for a few days and will be for a while after September 26th.

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