The fifth planet from the Sun, Jupiterit will be at the closest point to Land for 59 years from Sunday (25/9) to Monday (26/9).
The gas giant planet will be directly opposite the Sun when viewed from Earth. The astronomical environment recognizes it as an opposition phenomenon.
The opposition is common for Jupiter because it occurs every 13 months and Jupiter-Earth approaches about once a year.
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The closest extraterrestrial object to Earth itself is the Moon. The closest point on Earth is called the perigee phenomenon.
When the Earth reaches its closest point to Jupiter, starting on September 25, the planet interrupted by the orbit of Mars will appear very bright and large in the sky.
Quoted by SpaceJupiter should be in prime position for sky watchers with binoculars or small telescopes for several days.
To enjoy this view, residents are advised to be at a maximum height with dark sky conditions and sunny weather.
“The views will be fantastic for a few days before and after September 26,” said Adam Kobelski, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
“So take advantage of the good weather on both sides of this date to enjoy the view. Beyond the Moon, [oposisi Jupiter] it will be one of the brightest objects in the night sky. “
Of note, the planets of the solar system orbit the sun in a flat circle or ellipse, not in a perfect circle. Therefore, the Earth and Jupiter pass at varying distances.
While Earth takes about 365 days to orbit the sun, Jupiter takes a more relaxed path around the star completing one orbit every 4,333 Earth days or 12 Earth years.
During its position near Earth next week, Jupiter will be approximately 367 million miles (590 million kilometers) from our planet, according to a NASA report.
At its farthest point, Jupiter is about 600 million miles (960 million km) from Earth. The last time Jupiter was this close to planet Earth was in October 1963.
“With good binoculars, the band – at least the middle band – and three or four of the Galilean satellites (four natural satellites of Jupiter discovered by Galilei Galileo in 1610) should be visible,” Kobelski said in a statement.
“It is important to remember that Galileo observed these moons optically in the 17th century,” he said NASA.
The Galilean moons are the four largest of Jupiter’s 79 moons known to date. Called Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, these moons should be visible as bright spots on either side of the gas giant.
Jupiter itself is of interest to astronomers because it is thought to be able to explain how the solar system was formed.
(can / arh)
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