Jupiter at opposition tonight.

[dennilfloss]

Tonight Jupiter is the closest it's gonna be to Earth for the next 12 years, so it's a good time to have a nice look at it.

 

[Printer Bandit]

expect a big earthquake tomorrow.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I have been watching it move across the sky for a few weeks. At around midnight (my most active time of day) it's currently sitting in exactly the right place that I can just look out of my bedroom window and there she is. It's very bright but I didn't know it was at opposition. Cool.

 

[silverpig]

Cue the flood of "Jupiter will be as large as the moon tonight" emails.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Cue the flood of "Jupiter will be as large as the moon tonight" emails.

Don't forget to stand some eggs on their ends.

 

[Spacehead]

Too bad it so close to the moon tonight

 

[sandorski]

Fuck Jupiter! We can take it!!!

 

[TridenT]

I heard if you jump at the right time, you'll float in mid air just for a second because it's so close.

 

[yhelothar]

I saw a really bright planet out a few days ago. I was almost certain it was venus given the sheer brightness of it, but after seeing it with a simple pair of binoculars, the 4 jovian moons came clearly into sight. I thought to myself, hmm jupiter must be really close.. but I never expected an opposition!

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I saw a really bright planet out a few days ago. I was almost certain it was venus given the sheer brightness of it, but after seeing it with a simple pair of binoculars, the 4 jovian moons came clearly into sight. I thought to myself, hmm jupiter must be really close.. but I never expected an opposition!

Venus is always, always near the sun (just think about the geometry for a second and it becomes obvious why). So if you see something really bright and it's not close to the sun, it's not Venus.

 

[Riceninja]

drops of jupiter in my hair

 

[yhelothar]

Venus is always, always near the sun (just think about the geometry for a second and it becomes obvious why). So if you see something really bright and it's not close to the sun, it's not Venus.

Yeah I saw it close to after sunset.
Broad daylight is too bright for Venus to appear, so the best times to see it is after sunset and before sunrise.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Yeah I saw it close to after sunset.

Jupiter can't be close to the sun at opposition, so if you saw something close to the sun it wasn't Jupiter (however it will be visible soon after sunset, on the other side of the sky).

 

[Zorkorist]

drops of jupiter in my hair

Tell me, did you sail across the sun?

-John

 

[zerocool84]

Way too cloudy/foggy tonight to see anything.

 

[Ballatician]

Was it kind of in the same direction as the moon?

Guess it depends on your location eh. Thanks for the heads up!

Cheers

 

[Zorkorist]

Fuck Jupiter! We can take it!!!

It's Jupiter dude...

a little repect would be warranted.

(If you go low, I'll go high)

-John

 

[dennilfloss]

Was it kind of in the same direction as the moon?

Guess it depends on your location eh. Thanks for the heads up!

Cheers

It was to the left of the moon around the time I posted. Someone at Ars who images Jupiter a lot with his 6" newtonian made a nice animated gif a couple of days ago.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zamb0ni/with/5007014882/

 

[yhelothar]

Jupiter can't be close to the sun at opposition, so if you saw something close to the sun it wasn't Jupiter (however it will be visible soon after sunset, on the other side of the sky).

I see what you're saying but it was certainly Jupiter as comfirmed with the binos, and I saw it before it was dark out. Perhaps it being a week before opposition had something to do with it?

 

[Wingznut]

I look up and don't see sh*t... Damn Oregon clouds!

 

[dennilfloss]

I see what you're saying but it was certainly Jupiter as comfirmed with the binos, and I saw it before it was dark out. Perhaps it being a week before opposition had something to do with it?

Before it was dark suggets you saw Venus.

 

[dennilfloss]

I look up and don't see sh*t... Damn Oregon clouds!

You can still look when it's not cloudy later. It will only get further from us slowly.

 

[yhelothar]

Before it was dark suggets you saw Venus.

Only except Venus doesn't show 4 little dots lined up next to it when viewing with binos. :whiste:

 

[BoomerD]

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Only except Venus doesn't show 4 little dots lined up next to it when viewing with binos. :whiste:

It does when it is launching its probe-ships.