Community Corner
Jupiter Viewing: See It In The Skies Above Connecticut
Jupiter's visibility will peak Friday night, and the planet will be about at its best this year over CT. Check out the NASA video.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, and it will loom large over Connecticut on Friday night.
The planet will shine in the night sky this weekend, but Jupiter makes its closest approach to Earth on Friday night when it rises in the eastern sky just as the sun sets, which in Connecticut will be at 7:23 p.m.
The largest planet in the solar system officially reaches opposition - meaning it is on the opposite side of the sky from the sun - and will be the largest, most visible object in the sky from sundown to sunrise, according to National Geographic's website. Also see a NASA YouTube video below.
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Viewing is expected to be fair from northern New Jersey through Connecticut and Rhode Island. Here is an AccuWeather map that shows where viewing will be best:
For Jupiter, opposition means that the planet will come within 414 million miles, making it stunningly bright, outshining even than the nearby star Spica, according to National Geographic.
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Jupiter will eventually set in the West around sunrise, according to AccuWeather.
"The best time to observe is when it's highest in the sky which is close to midnight local time," AccuWeather Meteorologist Dave Samuhel said in a release.
AccuWeather says no special equipment is needed to see Jupiter as it is one of the five planets visible to the naked eye, although a telescope or binoculars would enhance the view.
"With a simple pair of binoculars, you can spot three or four of Jupiter's largest moons," Samuhel said.
Jupiter has 53 named moons, but the four largest moons are the easiest to spot, according to NASA. With a larger telescope, onlookers may be able to see the red cloud bands on Jupiter.
The weather also has to be nice. Here is the weather forecast for Connecticut for tonight, and throughout the weekend, from the National Weather Service:
Friday: 40 percent of showers. Mostly cloudy, high near 50, but feels colder with the wind chill factor.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, high temp in the low 50s. Still feels colder with the wind.
Sunday: Sunny, high near 60 degrees.
Monday: More sun and temps into the mid 60s.
Photo credit: NASA, ESA, and A. Simon (NASA Goddard); and AccuWeather.com
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