or Month of September is about to end with a key – astronomical – of gold. This Sunday (25) takes place one of the most anticipated cosmic events: the opposition of Jupiter, which will be super-illuminated and also the closest to Earth in this century.
It is the perfect opportunity to observe the planet, with the naked eye or with telescopes, and, above all, to make beautiful recordings.
Which is?
The opposition is when a celestial body is positioned on the opposite side of the Sun (with respect to the Earth, which is between the two bodies). This is often the best time to observe any planet.
What makes this opposition even more special is that in September Jupiter also makes its closest approach to Earth in the 21st century, arriving at “only” 590.3 million kilometers from us.
Its visible face will be fully illuminated by the Sun, which shines at a magnitude of about -3 (for comparison purposes, Venus shines at -5 and the full Moon at -13).
As a result, it will appear larger and brighter than at any other time in the past 22 years.
Jupiter captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, with its faint rings and moons
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, Jupiter ERS Team
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How to observe?
On the 25th Jupiter will be visible from early evening until dawn, sweeping across the sky.
Around 18:30 it rises to the east (facing the sunset); around 5:30 am, it sets in the west.
The best times for observation are between these two times, with the planet higher in the sky.
With the Moon “off”, in the Nova phase, and Venus only appearing in the morning, Jupiter will be the brightest object in our night sky.
It shouldn’t be hard to find. To the naked eye, it looks like a large star with a fixed pale yellow glow.
If you have trouble locating, use a place or app astronomy (such as Skywalk, Star chartSky Safari ou Stellar).
It is the best time to photograph the planet, revealing its incredible characteristic details, such as the colorful bands of clouds and the four largest of its 79 moons (theEurope, Ganymede and callisto).
With the help of binoculars or telescope, the view becomes sharper and more amazing.
The event is visible from anywhere in Brazil, if the sky is clear. The next few days are also excellent opportunities for observation.
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