EYES TO THE SKY: Jupiter shines all night. Sun’s longest days

June 10 – 23, 2019

An artist’s concept of Jupiter and Earth at opposition, when Earth passes between the sun and Jupiter. Image courtesy EarthSky.org

Mount Washington — A pivotal celestial event occurs this evening, June 10: Planet Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, rises in the southeast opposite the setting Sun in the northwest. The king of the planets, a brilliant star-like light, will be visible all night. Now at magnitude -2.61, it is the brightest celestial body in the night sky, second only to the moon, -12.23m. This evening, Jupiter climbs above the horizon at 8:16 p.m. as the sun sets opposite at 8:29 p.m. In the morning, the planet sets in the southwest as the Sun rises in the northeast. Tomorrow morning, the 11^th, Jupiter sets at 5:23 a.m.; sunrise is at 5:17 a.m. Jupiter and Sun are positioned on either side of Earth. The astronomical term for this phenomenon is “opposition.”

It will be about an hour after sunset, when the sky darkens, that unaided eyes will first observe the great planet above the southeastern skyline. The planet’s arc is rather low to the horizon. Go to a location with an unobstructed view where you may have observed Scorpius the Scorpion. Jupiter follows the Scorpion all night.

2019-june-14-15-16-Jupiter-Antares-night-sky-chart – Watch the bright moon swing close to Jupiter June 14, 15 and 16. Image courtesy EarthSky.org

Jupiter rises about five minutes earlier every day, that’s 7:17 p.m. on the 23rd opposite sunrise at 8:34 p.m. On the morning of the 23rd, the king of the planets sets at 4:32 a.m. while sunrise is at 5:17 a.m.

On June days and into mid-July, we find the king of the sky, our Sun, present for over 15 hours. The summer solstice occurs June 21 at 11:54 a.m. Note the furthest northeast sunrises within seconds of 5:17 a.m. for many days before and after the solstice. Enjoy sunsets furthest northwest within seconds of 8:33 p.m. from June 18 through July 4. Study the illustrations for more about summer solstice.

The Full Strawberry or Honey Moon follows Jupiter into the sky in the southeast on 17^th. Jupiter comes up at 7:44 p.m., moon at 8:57 p.m. Moon, Jupiter and red Antares form a splendid diagonal. The Full Moon will be visible setting in the southwest on both the 17^th and 18^th opposite sunrise at 5:17 a.m.

The solstice is the 24-hour period during the year when the most daylight hits the Northern Hemisphere. Astronomers can calculate an exact moment for the solstice, when Earth reaches the point in its orbit where the North Pole is angled closest to the sun. That moment will be at 6:07 a.m. Eastern Time June 21 this year. From Earth, the sun will appear farthest north. Image: Przemyslaw ‘Blueshade’ Idzkiewicz, CC BY-SA courtesy Space.com

Resources

Opposition – https://www.heavens-above.com/glossary.aspx?term=opposition
Jupiter – https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/2454/whats-up-june-2019-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/jupiter-marble
Summer solstice – https://www.space.com/40926-summer-solstice-2018-explained-by-astronomer.html

Opportunity to participate

July 26 – August 4, Summer Star Party, Plainfield, Massachusetts
http://www.rocklandastronomy.com/ssp.html