Earth passes between Jupiter and sun on February 6!

Jupiter (red) completes one orbit of the Sun (center) for every 11.86 orbits of the Earth (blue). When we on Earth are between the sun and Jupiter, the planet appears opposite the sun in our sky. Astronomers call this “opposition.” Animation via Wikimedia Commons.

Today – February 6, 2015 – Earth passes more or less between the sun and Jupiter, placing Jupiter opposite the sun in our sky. Astronomers call this event an opposition of Jupiter. The 2015 opposition is Jupiter’s closest until 2019. Jupiter rises at sunset, is highest in the sky at midnight and sets at dawn. It shines more brightly than any star in the evening sky, and is the second-brightest planet, after Venus. But Venus sets in the west at early evening while Jupiter stays out all night long.

Jupiter blazes away in front of the constellation Cancer. However, Cancer has no bright stars, so the closest 1st-magnitude star to Jupiter is Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion.

Jupiter comes to opposition about every 13 months. In other words, that’s how long Earth takes to travel once around the sun relative to Jupiter. For instance, last year – in 2014 – Jupiter’s opposition date was January 5. Next year – in 2016 – it’ll be March 8.

Jupiter’s closest approach to Earth for the year always falls on or near this planet’s opposition date. In 2015, Jupiter comes closest to Earth on its opposition date, coming to within 404 million miles (650 million kilometers) of Earth.

And, because it’s opposite the sun around now, you can see Jupiter at any time of night. For example – as the chart at the top of this post shows – you can see it in the east at nightfall and early evening. Around midnight, when the sun is below your feet, Jupiter appears high overhead. At dawn tomorrow, you’ll see Jupiter low in your western sky.

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Our friend Göran Strand in Sweden wrote earlier this week (February 3, 2015): “Tonight the moon and planet Jupiter are 7.5° apart in the sky and they make a lovely couple to watch … The light from the full moon is lighting up the clouds and coloring them in beautiful colors.” View more Jupiter and moon photos from February 3, 2015.

More than one thousand Earths could fit inside the giant planet Jupiter.

Jupiter is sometimes called a failed star. You would need at least 80 Jupiters – rolled into a ball – to be hot enough inside for thermonuclear reactions to ignite. In other words, Jupiter is not massive enough to shine as stars do.

But Jupiter is the largest and most massive planet in our solar system. So when the sun goes down on this early February night, you might — if you’re fanciful enough — imagine bright Jupiter as a tiny sun all night long.

Bottom line: Be sure to look for Jupiter on the night of February 6, 2015, the night of Jupiter’s opposition. Although the planet shines in front of the constellation Cancer, the brightest nearby star is Regulus, the brightest in the constellation Leo the Lion. This opposition of Jupiter brings Earth’s closest encounter with Jupiter until the year 2019!

Donate: Your support means the world to us

Live by the moon with your 2015 EarthSky lunar calendar!

See it! Best pics of February 3 full moon and Jupiter

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1xzN9pR

Jupiter (red) completes one orbit of the Sun (center) for every 11.86 orbits of the Earth (blue). When we on Earth are between the sun and Jupiter, the planet appears opposite the sun in our sky. Astronomers call this “opposition.” Animation via Wikimedia Commons.

Today – February 6, 2015 – Earth passes more or less between the sun and Jupiter, placing Jupiter opposite the sun in our sky. Astronomers call this event an opposition of Jupiter. The 2015 opposition is Jupiter’s closest until 2019. Jupiter rises at sunset, is highest in the sky at midnight and sets at dawn. It shines more brightly than any star in the evening sky, and is the second-brightest planet, after Venus. But Venus sets in the west at early evening while Jupiter stays out all night long.

Jupiter blazes away in front of the constellation Cancer. However, Cancer has no bright stars, so the closest 1st-magnitude star to Jupiter is Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion.

Jupiter comes to opposition about every 13 months. In other words, that’s how long Earth takes to travel once around the sun relative to Jupiter. For instance, last year – in 2014 – Jupiter’s opposition date was January 5. Next year – in 2016 – it’ll be March 8.

Jupiter’s closest approach to Earth for the year always falls on or near this planet’s opposition date. In 2015, Jupiter comes closest to Earth on its opposition date, coming to within 404 million miles (650 million kilometers) of Earth.

And, because it’s opposite the sun around now, you can see Jupiter at any time of night. For example – as the chart at the top of this post shows – you can see it in the east at nightfall and early evening. Around midnight, when the sun is below your feet, Jupiter appears high overhead. At dawn tomorrow, you’ll see Jupiter low in your western sky.

Enjoying EarthSky so far? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

Our friend Göran Strand in Sweden wrote earlier this week (February 3, 2015): “Tonight the moon and planet Jupiter are 7.5° apart in the sky and they make a lovely couple to watch … The light from the full moon is lighting up the clouds and coloring them in beautiful colors.” View more Jupiter and moon photos from February 3, 2015.

More than one thousand Earths could fit inside the giant planet Jupiter.

Jupiter is sometimes called a failed star. You would need at least 80 Jupiters – rolled into a ball – to be hot enough inside for thermonuclear reactions to ignite. In other words, Jupiter is not massive enough to shine as stars do.

But Jupiter is the largest and most massive planet in our solar system. So when the sun goes down on this early February night, you might — if you’re fanciful enough — imagine bright Jupiter as a tiny sun all night long.

Bottom line: Be sure to look for Jupiter on the night of February 6, 2015, the night of Jupiter’s opposition. Although the planet shines in front of the constellation Cancer, the brightest nearby star is Regulus, the brightest in the constellation Leo the Lion. This opposition of Jupiter brings Earth’s closest encounter with Jupiter until the year 2019!

Donate: Your support means the world to us

Live by the moon with your 2015 EarthSky lunar calendar!

See it! Best pics of February 3 full moon and Jupiter

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1xzN9pR