« Food Thread: Tabula Rasa Edition [CBD] |
Main
|
Overnight Open Thread (8-17-2014) »
August 17, 2014
Spaced-Out Challenge: The Venus-Jupiter Conjunction
Jupiter-Venus conjunction imaged by Dean Regas
Welcome again to the Spaced-Out Challenge! Whether you have a question about equipment, a new astronomical discovery you want to expand on, or just want to kick back and enjoy the cosmos above, come one come all on our weekly astronomical journey.
This week, I'll show you how to catch a beautiful, close conjunction of the two brightest planets early Monday morning. Read on, I'll show you!
Venus-Jupiter Conjunction on Monday, August 18th
From our vantage point, we enjoy regular appearances of our fellow solar system members along the ecliptic. But every now and then, thanks to our line-of-sight, these planets conjoin, and tomorrow morning's meet-up is going to make for a fantastic view:
As per the video, you can see this wonderful sight from ANYWHERE with a clear horizon and decent skies. Light pollution won't overwhelm the two brightest planets:
With binoculars, you will get an even better view, and should manage to tease out a moon or two around Jupiter:
But for those of you with amateur telescopes, this is where the conjunction really wows. Aim your telescope at the pair for a fantastic view of the disc of Venus, the cloud bands of Jupiter, Jupiters four moons (all aligned!), and the Beehive Cluster:
Your viewing window tomorrow is a short one: forty-five minutes before sunrise local time to no later than twenty minutes before. A clear view of the East is a must, as the pair will only rise about a hands-width above the horizon. But what a sight it will be!
Amateur Astronomy and Autism
A small but fantastic bonus this week. While planning my night sky sessions this weekend, I came across this wonderful video on Accuweather, highlighting an unforseen and welcomed side effect of stargazing for one family of a child with autism. It really attests to the power of the night sky: we are all wired to look and ask and wonder.
***
The full Beginner's Buyer's Guide, our Comet Guide (featuring additional grab-and-go telescopes), and any other edition you're looking for can be found in the master index of all Spaced-Out Challenge threads
here, but of course you can always inquire about binoculars, telescopes, and all the rest in the comments.
As always, if you have astrophotography, product recommendations, or astronomy news you'd like to see on a future Spaced-Out Challenge, email me at theoneandonlyfinn (at) gmail.com, or tweet me
@conartcritic.
If you have any more questions about your new optics, feel free to ask below.
Until next time, clear skies to you, and keep looking up!