Don’t Miss: Jupiter To Reach Opposition, Closest Approach to Earth in 59 Years!



On Monday, September 26, Jupiter will be at opposition, providing viewers with stunning views of Jupiter all night long. Opposition is when an astronomical object rises in the east as the Sun sets in the west, placing the object and the Sun on opposite sides of the Earth from the perspective of the surface.

Jupiter is in opposition every 13 months, which makes it appear larger and more brilliant than at any other time of the year.

That's not all, though. This time, Jupiter will also approach Earth more closely than it has in the previous 59 years. As a result, Earth and Jupiter pass each other at varying distances throughout the year. This is due to the fact that Earth and Jupiter do not orbit the Sun in perfect circles. Jupiter's closest approach to Earth this year will coincide with opposition, which is extremely rare. At its closest approach, Jupiter will be 367 million miles away from Earth, which is almost the same distance as it was in 1963. At its furthest point, the enormous planet is roughly 600 million miles from Earth.

Adam Kobelski stated that with decent binoculars, it should be possible to see the banding (at least the center band) and three to four of the Galilean satellites (moons). He works for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, as a research astrophysicist. It's crucial to keep in mind that Galileo used 17th-century optics to observe these moons. A secure mount for your chosen system will be one of your most important requirements.

The Great Red Spot, a storm the size of Earth that has been raging for hundreds of years, is shown in this image of Jupiter that was captured on June 27, 2019, by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: M.H. Wong, ESA, A. Simon, and Goddard Space Flight Center (University of California, Berkeley)

For a better view of Jupiter's Great Red Spot and bands, Kobelski advises using a larger telescope. To make these features more visible, use a telescope with a focal length of at least 4 inches and some green to blue filters.

For a few days before and after September 26, the views should be excellent, according to Kobelski. So, enjoy the nice weather on either side of this date to view the spectacle. It ought to be one of, if not the, brightest object in the night sky besides the Moon.

Jupiter has 53 named moons, despite the fact that astronomers estimate that 79 of its moons have been found. The four largest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, are referred to as the Galilean satellites. Galileo Galilei, who made the first observation of them in 1610, gave them their name. During opposition, the Galilean satellites should be visible as bright spots on either side of Jupiter with binoculars or a telescope.

On February 27, 2019, the planet Jupiter and three of its largest moons were visible as the Moon rose above the Wasatch Mountains in the vicinity of Salt Lake City. On Monday, September 26, when Jupiter is in opposition, observers should have a similar view. NASA and Bill Dunford

The mission of NASA's Juno spacecraft, which was launched on July 4, 2016, is to study Jupiter and its moons. Five years after setting out on its trip in 2011, Juno arrived at Jupiter. The spacecraft has been delivering amazing photographs and data about Jupiter's dynamic atmosphere, internal structures, internal magnetic field, and magnetosphere over the past six years.

Researchers think they can make ground-breaking discoveries about how the solar system formed by examining Jupiter. The mission of Juno has recently been extended to 2025, or until the spacecraft's end of life. Finding out more about Juno

The Europa Clipper is the upcoming significant venture for Jupiter exploration. This mission will investigate Europa, a famous moon of Jupiter known for its frozen exterior and enormous ocean beneath its surface. NASA researchers want to know if there is a chance that life could exist on Europa. The planned launch of the Europa Clipper cannot happen earlier than October 2024.

Find out more about the enormous planet. Additionally, you can view the most recent "What's Up" video from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to learn more about what else is happening in the sky in September:

What celestial sights should you look out for in September 2022? This month, Mars is moving, producing a "red triangle" with Aldebaran and Betelgeuse, two bright red stars. On September 9, Saturn and Jupiter will be traveling with the Moon, and on September 11, the Moon will be moving toward Jupiter in the early sky. The equinox, which occurs on September 23rd, signals the start of a new season by making day and night approximately equal in length.

By LANE FIGUEROA, NASA 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do You Sleep on Your Back or Side? Here's The Research on 'Optimal' Sleep Positions

Image
William Dement, a renowned sleep researcher at Stanford University, is quoted as saying that after 50 years of study, the only reason he can think of for why we sleep is "because we become sleepy." Sleep certainly matters for our health and wellbeing even though it may be, as one researcher put it, "the sole major habit in quest of a function." Do we, however, have it right? What do studies on sleeping positions say? Is there a proper sleeping position? The majority of people favor sleeping on their side. This is encouraging news because people who sleep on their backs are more likely to have trouble falling asleep or breathing during the night. Most of the time, we have a tendency to shift around quite a bit at night. According to a study involving 664 sleepers, on average, participants slept on their side 54% of the time, their back 37% of the time, and their front 7% of the time. Males are more likely to change positions throughout the night and move their arms, ...
Read more

The Science of Beards

Image
Here are a few facts that scientists have learned about beards as the world prepares to celebrate amazing facial hair on World Beard Day (September 3). Strong Manly Beard Men who have beards appear to be more dominant, aggressive, and strong, according to numerous studies[1][2][3] that have been conducted. In fact, men claim that growing facial hair makes them feel[4] more manly. Men who choose to grow beards tend to have higher testosterone levels than men who choose to keep their faces clean-shaven, according to research. They are also more likely to be hostile sexists, or to support the patriarchy and male dominance, as well as to believe that women belong in the kitchen, according to research on this topic. The beards (and muscles) on these males might be used to enforce gender roles. Professor R. D. Guthrie proposed in his book "Evolution of human threat display organs" from the 1970s that beards could be utilized to scare male rivals by improving aggressive and threaten...
Read more

Scientists Uncover a Surprising Connection Between Appetite and Sun Exposure

Image
Recent studies from Tel Aviv University show that women are not affected by sun exposure on their hunger levels, but males are. The study shows how the metabolic pathway is engaged differently in men and women. It was carried out utilizing lab models. Males of both animal and human species, as well as those exposed to the sun, are reportedly triggered to produce a protein called p53 that repairs any DNA damage that may have been done to the skin as a result of the exposure. The body produces the hunger-inducing hormone ghrelin in response to p53 activation. In females, the hormone estrogen stops p53 from interacting with ghrelin, preventing the desire to eat after being in the sun. The ground-breaking investigation was directed by professor Carmit Levy and Ph.D. candidate Shivang Parikh of the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine. In addition to the Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov), Assuta, Meir, and Sheba Medical Centers, Drs. Yiftach Gepne...
Read more