If you've never been able to locate our most distant major planet, now's your chance. Starting later this week, brilliant Jupiter will appear in the same low-power telescopic field as Neptune, making the smaller, dimmer planet easy to locate and identify. This planetary conjunction will not occur again until April, 2022, so don't miss it!
The first of this year's three pairings will come on May 27; the closest of the three that occur in 2009, with Jupiter passing just 0.38-degree south of Neptune [Map].
That's roughly equal to three-quarters the apparent diameter of the Moon. So if you've never seen the most distant planet from the sun, you'll have an excellent opportunity on this morning, using Jupiter as your guide. With binoculars or a telescope, focus first on Jupiter then search just above it for a tiny bluish "star"; this will be Neptune. Keep in mind that Neptune will appear only about 1/13,000 as bright as Jupiter.
The next two conjunctions between these planets will be on July 9 and December 21.
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/090522- ... piter.html
The first of this year's three pairings will come on May 27; the closest of the three that occur in 2009, with Jupiter passing just 0.38-degree south of Neptune [Map].
That's roughly equal to three-quarters the apparent diameter of the Moon. So if you've never seen the most distant planet from the sun, you'll have an excellent opportunity on this morning, using Jupiter as your guide. With binoculars or a telescope, focus first on Jupiter then search just above it for a tiny bluish "star"; this will be Neptune. Keep in mind that Neptune will appear only about 1/13,000 as bright as Jupiter.
The next two conjunctions between these planets will be on July 9 and December 21.
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/090522- ... piter.html
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram