August 19: The largest planet in the solar system will take center stage in the night sky from Thursday, as it looks brighter than any other point in 2021, making it a great opportunity to detect the planet, with or without telescopes. .
Star observers who spent some time outside last week to see the meteor shower of the Perseids probably saw Jupiter as the brightest object in the sky after the moon set during the first part of the night.
This week, Jupiter will appear a little brighter as it reaches opposition.
Opposition is an astronomical term meaning that Jupiter will appear opposite the sun from the perspective of the Earth. This is also around the time when the two planets will be at their maximum, i.e. it is the best time of year to observe the planet.
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Jupiter will officially hit the opposition on Thursday, but it’s not just a one-night event.
The planet will remain vibrant in the sky for the rest of August, so if cloudy conditions prevail on Thursday night, viewers can go out on the weekend or at any time in the coming weeks to enjoy a magnificent view. of Jupiter.
Jupiter will be easy to spot throughout the night, rising southeast shortly after sunset, slowly crawling across the southern sky as night falls, and finally setting to the southwest as the sun rises. .
Saturn will also be in the neighborhood, though it won’t look as bright as Jupiter.
To find Saturn, it is helpful to locate Jupiter in the sky and then look to the right about the distance of a hand stretched into the distance.
While no telescope is needed to see the largest planet in the solar system, opposition from Jupiter is a great opportunity for people to dig their telescope out of the closet or to use a new telescope for the first time. .
Since it is already visible to the naked eye, Jupiter is easy to find with a telescope. In addition, most telescopes are powerful enough to reveal their four largest moons: Europa, Io, Ganymede, and Callisto.
The four spots of light around Jupiter are the moons of Galilee. Image by Stephen Rahn
These four moons are often called the moons of Galilee, as they were first observed by Galileo in the early 1600s.
These moons orbit Jupiter much faster than the moon orbiting the Earth. Observers can see how the moons change position in a span of a few hours as they move across the great planet.
Larger telescopes with more magnification power can reveal more details about Jupiter, including its colorful bands of clouds and even the famous Great Red Spot.
The planet will not reappear so bright for another 13 months when it comes into opposition again on September 26, 2022
However, stellar observers will continue to see Jupiter in the evening sky, next to Saturn, throughout the balance of 2021, and the planets will become darker and darker as the end of the year approaches. .