See Jupiter Saturday Night as it Comes Close to Moon

Maryland skies should clear just in time tonight for you to look up at the sky and see a rare sight as Jupiter will hover close to the moon Saturday. 

Hovering close to the moon roughly four to five degrees to the right, Jupiter will look like a bright and silvery white star. Space.com notes that viewers should look to the west-southwest horizon and not quite halfway up to the overhead point about an hour after sunset to catch the sight. 

The National Weather Service says skies should clear about 9 p.m. in Maryland.

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The moon and Jupiter will be the two brightest objects in the sky and will slowly descend into the sky before fully disappearing beyond the western horizon just after 1 a.m.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system with dozens of moons and an enormous magnetic field that forms a kind of miniature solar system, NASA explains. The planet is known for its great Red Spot, a gigantic storm that is bigger than Earth and has raged on the planet for hundreds of years. 

Space.com notes Jupiter is currently the first bright object to become visible each night at dusk but it will slowly slip farther down the horizon and will go down in prominence starting mid-July and Venus will rise in prominence. 

NASA's Juno spacecraft will enter Jupiter's orbit July 4, to help answer questions about the planet.

Image via NASA