Don't miss Venus and Jupiter shine super close in the night sky. They won't be closer until 2032!

[Admin]

You can catch an incredibly close view of these worlds for 2 hours after sunset tonight (March 1).

Don't miss Venus and Jupiter shine super close in the night sky. They won't be closer until 2032! : Read more

 

[rod]

I did not miss the duo this evening Observed 1745-1845 EST (2245-2345 UT). Waxing gibbous Moon in Gemini. Sunset near 1759 EST. Jupiter and Venus conjunction this evening, very lovely, a dazzling pair in the sky by 1820 EST. Stellarium angle measure showed 32 arcminutes apart. I used my 90-mm refractor telescope with TeleVue 14-mm Delos and TeleVue 9-mm Nagler for 71x and 111x observations. At 71x with a true FOV a bit more than 1-degree, both easy to see in the FOV. A bit more difficult at 111x to see both but I could (true FOV about 44 arcminutes). Venus, distinct gibbous shaped planet and bright (85.6% illuminated and 12 arcsecond size). Jupiter (34 arcsecond size and 99.7% illuminated) cloud bands, shading at the poles distinct. The Great Red Spot was visible. The GRS transit time tonight was 02-March-2023 at 0025 UT/1925 EST 01-March-2023. Europa occultation by Jupiter at 2318 UT. I did observe Europa until Europa disappeared behind Jupiter's limb. Io, Callisto, and Ganymede visible on the other side. The March 2023 Sky & Telescope magazine, pages 50-51 supplied tables for GRS transit times and Galilean moon events at Jupiter. While viewing this evening, several flocks of geese were migrating north flying over my location, in the V shape flight school pattern, honking loudly . Time to move north to nesting grounds. Clear skies this evening at sunset, some high cirrus. Temperature 7C, winds south 6 knots. A pleasant time at sunset watching Jupiter and Venus conjunction in Pisces.