This Week - Close Encounters With Jupiter (And Uranus)
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Be sure to pull out your telescopes starting tomorrow, September 21st, to see what NASA scientists are touting as a once in a lifetime event - The opportunity to see Jupiter and Uranus close-up (kind of).
While Jupiter and Earth encounter each other every 13 months as they orbit around the sun, this week's sighting is believed to be extra special, since the gas giant will be just 380 million miles away from Earth. The last time it came this close was in 1963 and NASA believes that it won't happen again until at least 2022.
While our Solar System's largest planet will be visible to the naked eye as it sparkles brilliantly in the Eastern side of the skies, to see it in detail will require a telescope. However, because it is so close, scientists believe even a basic one will work.
Some of the things they recommend looking for include the Great Red Spot - a cyclone twice as wide as Earth and Jupiter's lost stripe, which may have reappeared. Also, don't forget to look out for its four biggest moons - Lo, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
And, if you are really fortunate, you may be able to see some flashes caused by small asteroids colliding against the surface of the planet. While Jupiter will be visible throughout the month, it will be the closest on September 20th and 21st and the best time to observe it will be at midnight.
And if this is not enough of a celestial treat, look up at the skies on Tuesday and you may even catch a glimpse of Uranus. Since it is three times smaller and five times farther than Jupiter, it will not be apparent to the naked eye. But, if you point your telescope at Jupiter and look about 1 degree away, you may just be able to catch a glimpse of the emerald surface of the Universe's seventh planet. Happy stargazing!
sources:science.nasa.gov
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189 Comments
- JustinXover 14 yearsI find it so amazing that jupiter came so close to uranus. If i ever had a telescope i would love to see that amazing sight.
- Derickover 14 yearsThe story was awsome I loved it I wish today was setember 20 or 21 so i can get my telescope and start to look up at the sky and see the biggest planet in our galaxy jupiter. But out of everything, i really liked the story.
- xadamxover 14 yearsi think this is cool but i blame ms. avila for not telling us earlier (only a little bit). this article is cool and asome at the same time. i wonder because jupiter is so close now that will it last a few more days at least.
- davidover 14 yearswow awsome
- celineover 14 yearswow that is very intersting but it says start talking out ur telescope tommorow but its not September 21st when its not. i should stop trin to be funny, anyway back to reality that artical was very interesting and i loved it
- DELAINYover 14 yearsthis was an amazing article.. i thought i wasnt going to like it, but now that i found out that if you poinT your telescope to jupiter, it will look like its right in front of you...COOL!!!!!!!!
- tatiana lafleurover 14 yearsman, if i had a telescope i would most definetely take a look at jupiter and maybe uranus!
- shamiyah jamesover 14 yearsi want to get a telascope to see what happens
- wayneover 14 yearswow that was so interesting jupitar was more closer to earth than ever
- Amirover 14 yearsWow. I have always loved planets. Only if I had known. That would have been amazing to see Jupiter without atelescope. If I had known I could have borrowed my neighbor telescope so I can see Uranus. Seeing Uranus would be very instresting.