Starting this weekend, sky hunters will get a rare glimpse of Jupiter’s majesty as it appears to be the largest and brightest in decades. Jupiter would be one of the most beautiful, if not the most, natural bodies in the night sky.
–
On Sunday, Jupiter will reach its closest distance from Earth in 59 years at around 367 million miles. On Monday, the gas giant will reach opposition, which means it will appear opposite the Sun to Earth’s. Jupiter will rise in the east and the sun will set in the west. Both events will make Jupiter You look brighter And bigger in the sky, with the best views Monday night, according to NASA. However, the planet will appear slightly larger and brighter in the coming weeks.
–
–
Separately, these two conditions are not uncommon. Jupiter reaches opposition every 13 months, making the gas giant appear larger and brighter than any other time of the year. It also makes its closest approach to Earth, as it shows a greater, approximately every 12 years, the amount of time it takes for a planet to orbit the sun. The overlap between the two events is a physical game and won’t happen again until 2139.
–
“This is one of the fun things about living on a moving planet,” said Michelle Thaler, a NASA astronomer. “Everything is ready to make Jupiter the largest you have seen in the sky for the past 59 years.”
–
Perhaps amateur astronomers notice the difference more than others, Thaler said. Using binoculars or a telescope, people will be able to observe small details of Jupiter, including its range, and its three or four Galilean moons, according to NASA. Sky explorers must find plateaus, dark skies, and dry weather to get the best views.
–
Telescopes in space will also be able to capture a better view of the gas giant over the next two months, Thaler said. The recently launched James Webb Space Telescope captures incredible images of the planet in great detail. Image taken from multiple vehicles, showing the Northern Lights on Jupiter’s north and south poles. The famous Great Red Spot, a massive rotating storm that can engulf the Earth, appears white because it reflects so much sunlight.
–
Jupiter has always fascinated astronomers, as often as possible give directions For the ancient history of the Earth. Jupiter was probably the first planet to form in our solar system, created by gas and dust left over from the formation of the Sun some 4.6 billion years ago. During this time, the massive, heavy planet swings through the inner solar system and destroys other new planets that form in its path. The debris of the shattered little planet are some of the building materials for Venus, Earth, Mars and Mercury.
–
Thaler says Jupiter may also be responsible for most of the water on our planet. As Jupiter moved through the inner solar system, she may have provided some of the water that fills our oceans today. Most of the Earth’s surface water, Thaler said, “was likely transported by Jupiter and was carrying a lot of icy material from the outer solar system.”
–
For galactic explorers, Jupiter’s moon Europa is also one of the most likely places to find life in our solar system, beyond Earth. An ice moon can have three components necessary for life: water, energy, and chemistry.
–
As Jupiter draws a rare line and goes against it, marvel at one of the biggest physical reasons we are here. “There are so many wonderful things about Jupiter,” Thaler said. “You will look really big and bright in the next few weeks. Would be very nice”.
–
