Tonight, and for the next several nights, the planet Jupiter should be yours to behold, given a clear sky after the sun sets. That’s even if you don’t know your cardinal directions – or if reading sky charts is not your forte. On the nights of Feburary 2, 3 and 4, 2015, the moon will be near Jupiter in the night sky. And Jupiter is now nearly as bright as it will be for this entire year. The result is a beautiful sky scene. Don’t miss it!
Simply look for the full-looking moon as darkness falls. The moon may appear full to the eye after the sun sets on February 2, but it won’t be astronomically full – most directly opposite the sun – until February 3. No matter. Just find tonight’s full-looking moon, and the dazzling starlike object near it will be the king planet Jupiter.
If you miss out this evening because of cloudy skies, try again tomorrow as the full moon couples up even more closely with Jupiter on February 3. Miss them both nights? Then try February 4, when the moon still be nearby.
Live by the moon with your 2015 EarthSky lunar calendar!
The moon appears above Jupiter as darkness falls on February 2, with Jupiter on February 3 and with the star Regulus (Jupiter nearby) on February 4. The sky chart is for North America. On these same dates in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere – Europe, Africa and Asia – the moon will be somewhat offset toward the previous date. The green line depicts the ecliptic, or sun’s path across our sky.
Jupiter is the third-brightest celestial object to light up the evening sky, after the moon and the planet Venus. But you’re not likely to mistake Venus for Jupiter. At dusk and nightfall, Venus is seen pretty much opposite of the moon and Jupiter, beaming low in the west as Jupiter and the moon ascend in the east.
In fact, if you don’t look for Venus at dusk or early evening, you might miss Venus altogether. It sets at relatively early evening. Meanwhile, Jupiter stays out all night.
Look westward at nightfall for the planets Venus and Mars. They set by early evening, while Jupiter shines all night long.
Possibly, with no moon to guide you, you could mistake Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky, for Jupiter. As darkness falls on these February evenings, Jupiter is seen in the eastern sky, while Sirius is found in the southeast, some distance to the right of Jupiter in early evening (assuming you’re in the Northern Hemisphere). Practiced sky watchers use the prominent constellation Orion to confirm that they’re looking at Sirius. The three stars of Orion’s Belt always point to nighttime’s brightest star.
There’s another way to distinguish Jupiter from Sirius. Planets tend to shine with a steadier light than the twinkling stars. If you can find both Jupiter and Sirius tonight, note how steadily Jupiter shines in contrast to Sirius. Sirius oftentimes sparkles wildly, especially when it’s near the horizon, flashing in all the colors of the rainbow.
Not sure which is Jupiter and which is Sirius, the sky’s brightest star? Orion’s Belt always points to Sirius. Plus, Sirius tends to sparkle wildly when it’s near the horizon, while Jupiter exhibits a steadier light.
Bottom line: On the nights of February 2-4, 2015, Let the bright moon be your guide to the king planet Jupiter!
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Looking for a sky chart? EarthSky recommends…
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1tO81tT
Tonight, and for the next several nights, the planet Jupiter should be yours to behold, given a clear sky after the sun sets. That’s even if you don’t know your cardinal directions – or if reading sky charts is not your forte. On the nights of Feburary 2, 3 and 4, 2015, the moon will be near Jupiter in the night sky. And Jupiter is now nearly as bright as it will be for this entire year. The result is a beautiful sky scene. Don’t miss it!
Simply look for the full-looking moon as darkness falls. The moon may appear full to the eye after the sun sets on February 2, but it won’t be astronomically full – most directly opposite the sun – until February 3. No matter. Just find tonight’s full-looking moon, and the dazzling starlike object near it will be the king planet Jupiter.
If you miss out this evening because of cloudy skies, try again tomorrow as the full moon couples up even more closely with Jupiter on February 3. Miss them both nights? Then try February 4, when the moon still be nearby.
Live by the moon with your 2015 EarthSky lunar calendar!
The moon appears above Jupiter as darkness falls on February 2, with Jupiter on February 3 and with the star Regulus (Jupiter nearby) on February 4. The sky chart is for North America. On these same dates in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere – Europe, Africa and Asia – the moon will be somewhat offset toward the previous date. The green line depicts the ecliptic, or sun’s path across our sky.
Jupiter is the third-brightest celestial object to light up the evening sky, after the moon and the planet Venus. But you’re not likely to mistake Venus for Jupiter. At dusk and nightfall, Venus is seen pretty much opposite of the moon and Jupiter, beaming low in the west as Jupiter and the moon ascend in the east.
In fact, if you don’t look for Venus at dusk or early evening, you might miss Venus altogether. It sets at relatively early evening. Meanwhile, Jupiter stays out all night.
Look westward at nightfall for the planets Venus and Mars. They set by early evening, while Jupiter shines all night long.
Possibly, with no moon to guide you, you could mistake Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky, for Jupiter. As darkness falls on these February evenings, Jupiter is seen in the eastern sky, while Sirius is found in the southeast, some distance to the right of Jupiter in early evening (assuming you’re in the Northern Hemisphere). Practiced sky watchers use the prominent constellation Orion to confirm that they’re looking at Sirius. The three stars of Orion’s Belt always point to nighttime’s brightest star.
There’s another way to distinguish Jupiter from Sirius. Planets tend to shine with a steadier light than the twinkling stars. If you can find both Jupiter and Sirius tonight, note how steadily Jupiter shines in contrast to Sirius. Sirius oftentimes sparkles wildly, especially when it’s near the horizon, flashing in all the colors of the rainbow.
Not sure which is Jupiter and which is Sirius, the sky’s brightest star? Orion’s Belt always points to Sirius. Plus, Sirius tends to sparkle wildly when it’s near the horizon, while Jupiter exhibits a steadier light.
Bottom line: On the nights of February 2-4, 2015, Let the bright moon be your guide to the king planet Jupiter!
Donate: Your support means the world to us
Looking for a sky chart? EarthSky recommends…
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1tO81tT
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