This Week - Close Encounters With Jupiter (And Uranus)

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