Jupiter and Saturn form a triangle with the moon tonight. Here's how to see it.

[Admin]

Look up late tonight (June 8) and early tomorrow morning to see Jupiter and Saturn form a triangle with Earth's moon.

Jupiter and Saturn form a triangle with the moon tonight. Here's how to see it. : Read more

 

[Eric]

Uh, is there ever a time when these three points don't form a triangle?

 

[rod]

FYI, yes tomorrow morning near 0400 EDT. The Moon has moved farther eastward near the ecliptic while Saturn and Jupiter are moving retrograde. You can see these changes using Stellarium 0.20.1 or Starry Night Pro Plus 8, or SkySafari software. Each early morning now after 8-9 of June, the waning Moon moves farther and farther away from Saturn and Jupiter and these planets are slowly changing their positions too. New Moon is 21-June.

 

[Eric]

Kind of sad that people no longer know what "triangle" means...

 

[Jim S]

my take-away is that the rest of the time the moon, Jupiter and Saturn are in perfect 3-dimensional linear alignment and only last night did they break line and form a triangle.

 

[rod]

FYI. The configuration of Mars, waning gibbous Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter this morning was very different than what space.com report shows for 8-9 June sky charts. The Moon and planets have their own ecliptic latitude and longitude coordinates, these change as well as their celestial coordinates on the sky, so different configurations appear as viewed by us folks here on Earth . The triangle shape visible that space.com reported for 08-09 June, was very different this morning when looking at the Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter. The software I mentioned shows all of these changes and I use for observing. I was out this morning 0450-0530 EDT. Sunrise near 0541 EDT. Some very good views of Mars, waning gibbous Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter using my 90-mm refractor telescope at 179x. No planetary or moon filters used. Jupiter's Great Red Spot distinct as it crossed the central meridian of Jupiter near 0534 EDT. Jupiter transits my location near 0343 EDT now. Jupiter is best viewed near transit and currently 0300 or so time slot . Mars is close to 10" (arcsecond) angular size showing more surface detail and south polar cap very visible, orange-red color. Saturn is always a great view with rings, cloud bands, and Cassini division visible. An enjoyable time early this morning along the ecliptic. Later 0730-0800 EDT, I enjoyed some views of sunspot AR2765. Good views of sunspot AR2765 using glass, white light-solar filter. No other filters used. Easy to see the sunspot and some plage around it. Still a bit larger than Earth size. I estimate viewing at 31x, >=17" angular size based upon the Sun's distance today and Earth's diameter.

If folks regularly observe the night sky and early morning sky, lunar and planetary configurations change throughout the year along with the constellations. Observing can be very enjoyable, unaided eyes, binocular views, and telescope views (better for the Moon, planets, and star clusters, etc.).

 

[Lovethrust]

Uh, is there ever a time when these three points don't form a triangle?

When they are in a line?