As an avid stargazer who’s spent countless nights peering into the cosmos with my trusty telescope, I can’t help but feel excited about this guide to observing Jupiter. Having witnessed the gas giant’s changing face myself, I can attest that there’s nothing quite like seeing those swirling bands of cloud and the tiny specks of its moons dancing around it.
Each night offers a wonderful opportunity to gaze at the stars through a telescope (unless it’s overcast), but if you need a reason, Jupiter is preparing for some stunningly close encounters. At its most distant, Jupiter is approximately 601 million miles from Earth, but it approaches as near as 365 million miles, depending on the arrangement of the planets in their orbits, providing us with unique, up-close views of this gas giant.
On December 6th this year, Earth will get as near as it’ll be to Jupiter in 2021, approximately 380 million miles away. This makes a great chance for amateur sky-watchers to observe the gas giant closely, without needing to embark on an interstellar voyage like the crew depicted in SYFY’s “The Ark”.
For More on Jupiter
Investigating the Enigma of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot: What is a Day Like on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune?
Why Jupiter (and the other planets) are sometimes closer or farther away from Earth
Over time, both Earth and Jupiter move towards each other and away from each other due to their respective orbits around the Sun. Both planets follow elliptical paths around the Sun, with the duration of these orbits being affected by their distance from the Sun. While an orbit for Earth takes a year, it takes almost 12 for Jupiter. As Earth continues its journey along its orbital path, it encounters other planets, sometimes passing them and at other times being passed by them, which results in periodic changes in the distance between us.
As Jupiter reaches its maximum distance of approximately 601 million miles, light from its surface takes 54 minutes to reach us. Conversely, during its closest approach, this time decreases to around 34 minutes. Also noteworthy is that due to its relatively nearby position in the cosmos, Jupiter appears about 50% larger when it’s close compared to when it’s far away. Each night leading up to December 6, Jupiter will appear a bit closer and bigger in the sky; after that date, it will seem to move further away and shrink in appearance.
On December 7, a day following its closest point, Jupiter will experience opposition – a phase when it appears directly on the opposite side of the Sun from our viewpoint. Essentially, this means Earth is positioned between Jupiter and the Sun, making us the nearest we’ll be for the entire year. Furthermore, this alignment allows Jupiter to rise as the sun sets and remain visible throughout most of the night.
Understanding the retrograde motion of planets
The identical connection between orbits is what causes the celestial bodies to seem as if they’re moving backward, a phenomenon known as retrograde motion. This was crucial for ancient astronomers in comprehending the structure of our solar system, which you might have heard referenced in your horoscope.
As you gaze upon the night sky, you might think all celestial bodies move from east to west. This perception is mainly due to Earth‘s rotation rather than the stars or planets actually moving in that direction. While stars do have motion, they’re so distant that their movement appears insignificant. On the other hand, planets are closer and their movement is more noticeable.
By carefully observing the most radiant points in the night sky, you’ll discern that they appear to shift positions relative to other fixed stars. This is why the ancient Greeks named them ‘planets,’ meaning ‘wanderers.’ Although they seem to travel from east to west across a single night, their primary motion is west to east when viewed against the backdrop of distant stars. All planets orbit the Sun in this direction, but when they are in retrograde, it seems as though they are moving backward.
If you traced Jupiter’s path every evening over a year, you would observe it occasionally changing direction, moving back and forth across the night sky. This unusual motion was crucial for ancient astronomers in comprehending that the entire universe doesn’t revolve around Earth; instead, they began to favor the heliocentric model of our solar system.
It’s simpler to comprehend that planets seem to move backward when viewed from Earth if we imagine them as runners on a nearly circular track, with Jupiter currently in the lead but Earth closing in. After opposition, Earth will take the front position due to its shorter orbit. As we travel around this track, our perspective of the other planets’ motion can change, sometimes making it appear that they are running in reverse.
How to see and take pictures of Jupiter with a small telescope
Jupiter can be spotted easily with modest telescopes or even binoculars, as it’s not too far away and quite sizeable. While better equipment yields better results, you can still enjoy stunning views with an affordable and user-friendly telescope. The OneSky telescope from Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) is a fantastic choice for beginners, offering sights of the Moon, various planets, and even more distant objects like nebulae. Best of all, it’s reasonably priced at around $250, which is typical for similar devices, but it comes with additional benefits.
This device sports a bottom curved mirror of 130 millimeters, designed to gather light. Subsequently, this gathered light is focused and redirected onto a smaller, flat mirror angled at 45 degrees. Upon striking this mirror, the light is deflected towards the eyepiece. The entire setup weighs merely 14 pounds and can be compacted to approximately half its usual size when not in use, making it highly portable.
The OneSky telescope is manufactured by Celestron, a well-known brand in consumer telescopes, who supply it to AWB at cost. This allows the organization to sell it at regular market prices, using the profits to support international STEAM and astronomy initiatives. Using the OneSky for Jupiter observation is straightforward: just extend the tube, insert an eyepiece, and direct it towards the correct location. Capturing photos involves a slightly more complex process.
To truly delve into astrophotography, consider investing in specialized astro cameras and motorized mounts that ensure your subject stays still as the earth rotates. However, if you’re just starting out or wish to avoid a significant expense, a smartphone, an adapter, and some time can produce satisfactory results.
The trick is getting your camera lined up directly down the eyepiece, which can be difficult, particularly when working with high magnification in the dark. Try a headlamp with red light, so you can see what you’re doing without losing the ability to see the stars. When taking pictures with your phone, it’s important to know that there are limitations; your photos aren’t going to rival Hubble, but you can improve your chances with a few simple tips.
In low-light situations, such as when photographing in the dark, objects that are notably brighter than their surroundings, like Jupiter, might become overexposed (as shown in the image). To prevent this, you can touch your intended subject and then adjust the brightness level downwards. However, this might cause some background elements, like moons or stars, to disappear from the frame. You could enhance details by extending the exposure time. It’s also advisable to use a delay timer or remote shutter to avoid any potential blurring caused by physically pressing the shutter button. Countless astrophotographs have been spoiled due to the camera shake when activating the shutter.
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2024-12-06 01:31