(See the "
Update" below)
"Earth is about to pass between the sun and Jupiter, placing Jupiter opposite the sun in our sky on March 8, 2016, at 11 Universal Time".
"Astronomers call this event an opposition of Jupiter.
Therefore, Jupiter now rises in the east around sunset, climbs highest
in the sky at midnight and sets in the west around sunrise. It shines
more brightly than any star in the evening sky, and is the
second-brightest planet, after Venus. But Venus only shines in the
morning at present while Jupiter stays out all night long". EarthSky.
"7x50 and 10x50 binoculars show a very small white or creamy
coloured planetary disk without detail. Easily seen are Jupiter's four
large Galilean moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) which
continuously change position as they orbit the giant planet."freestarcharts.com.
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| Jupiter's moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto (credit - NASA) |
"But as always whatever binoculars / telescope you are using or even just
with the naked eye, Jupiter is a fantastic object to view especially
around opposition time". freestarcharts.com
Update! - Tonight, almost midnight, this is how they look like, from home (Jupiter, three of its moons and a nebula):
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| Photo © E.G. |
