Jupiter, is as close as it has been to Earth in 59 years - a treat for astronomers and amateur stargazers alike.
Any night this week, as the sky darkens and the sun slips below the horizon in the west, what appears to be a large star will rise in the east.
This Aug 25, 2020 image captured by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope shows the planet Jupiter and one of its moons, Europa, at left.“There’s not going to be any doubt,” says Perry Vlahos, former president of the Astronomical Society of Victoria. “It’s the next brightest thing in the eastern sky after the moon.Jupiter’s orbit takes it much further from the sun than Earth’s – it’s about five times as far away. It takes 12 Earth years to orbit the sun.
Most Indigenous cultures consider the moon a man and the sun a woman. The Tiwi people saw Jupiter as a one of the wives of the moon man; the Kamilaroi people saw Jupiter as young boy who disliked his mother, the sun. Jupiter’s yellow and red stripes and swirls are clouds of ammonia which rotate across the planet’s axis; the ammonia mixes with water, ice and other elements of the planet’s atmosphere to create the distinct colour.The planet’s Great Red Spot is a storm, possibly a giant hurricane, wide enough to engulf the Earth.“When you use a little bit more magnification, you can see the equatorial bands made up of clouds. And if you’re really fortunate, you can sometimes see the great salmon spot,” he says.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
By Jupiter! Now’s the best chance for 60 years to see giant planetTonight, as the sky darkens and the sun slips below the horizon in the west, a large star will rise in the east. It’s the gas giant Jupiter, as close as it has been to Earth in 59 years - a treat for astronomers and amateur stargazers alike.
Read more »
Patricia’s ‘best ever year’ in Melbourne Royal Show culinary marathonPatricia won places for more than half of her 70 entrants in this year’s Melbourne Royal Show after competing across baking, preserving and confectionary events. | By Jackson Graham jtbgraham melbourneshow
Read more »
Renovation delivers $200,000-plus premium as prices stabiliseThe auction clearance rate held firm above 60 per cent for the fifth consecutive week as fully renovated homes proved most popular given construction delays.
Read more »
Police search for mother and baby missing from Sydney’s inner westHuriana Taylor, 33, and her son, Terrence, were last seen at Balmain on Friday, September 16.
Read more »
10 of the best new books to read in OctoberThis month sees new releases from big names including George Saunders, Elizabeth Strout and Cormac McCarthy.
Read more »