Jupiter-Earth Alignment: February 6th

On February 6th, Earth, the Sun, and the mighty planet Jupiter will align.

On this day, Jupiter will be essentially at its closest point to Earth. Rising in the East around 6:30pm, you will see a very bright, very large object move through the sky. That object, is the literal outline of the planet Jupiter. In fact, if you are in a dark enough area, you can even make out one of the dark bands on its surface, especially if you look just slightly to the side of the planet (rods pick up contrast better and are more prevalent when not looking directly at the object).

For those of you with telescopes, Jupiter looks absolutely incredible! In a dark area, you can clearly see the bands, and the moons are clearly visible with a decent telescope (Callisto, Io, Ganymede, and Europa).





Enjoy the view!

a reply to: 1Providence1

Jupiter Ascending comes out in theaters the same day. Maybe some occult symbolism going on there? Jupiter was the king of the gods, the Roman equivalent of Zeus.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

It's been in some theatre's since 2nd February actually..

And will be in most on the 5th

a reply to: AlphaHawk

Oh ok, I did a quick Google search and it came up the 6th. Either way, that's a neat little coincidence.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

May have been deliberate, alignments and eclipses are easy to forecast

originally posted by: 1Providence1
On February 6th, Earth, the Sun, and the mighty planet Jupiter will align.

On this day, Jupiter will be essentially at its closest point to Earth. Rising in the East around 6:30pm, you will see a very bright, very large object move through the sky. That object, is the literal outline of the planet Jupiter. In fact, if you are in a dark enough area, you can even make out one of the dark bands on its surface.

Where did you get this information from? 'Cause it sounds implausible.

Firstly, the alignment of Earth, the Sun, and Jupiter (or any other planet) happens every year, so this is not something unique or especially significant.

Jupiter is bright, but you won't see it as a "very large object", neither will you see its dark bands with the naked eye. The angular resolution of the naked eye is about 1 minute of arc, and Jupiter at its largest is below that (at about 50 seconds of arc). You have a better chance of seeing the thin crescent of Venus than resolve the disc of Jupiter.

Some actual information: in-the-sky.org...

On this occasion, Jupiter will lie at a distance of 4.35 AU, and its disk will measure 44.4 arcsec in diameter, shining at magnitude -2.6. Even at its closest approach to the Earth, however, it is not possible to distinguish it as more than a star-like point of light with the naked eye, though a good pair of binoculars are sufficient to reveal it as a disk of light with accompanying system of moons.

I was watching Jup last night everytime I had a fag at work...just lovely.
So I got home and got my binocs out and the clouds came over grrrrrrr.

originally posted by: 1Providence1
For those of you with telescopes, Jupiter looks absolutely incredible! In a dark area, you can clearly see the bands, and the moons are clearly visible with a decent telescope (Callisto, Io, Ganymede, and Europa).

It should be added that with a small telescope, or even a moderately good pair of binoculars, you can see the four major Moons of Jupiter anytime Jupiter is visible in the night sky -- not just the time of the year (such as now) when Earth is closest to it.

So even if some people don't get the chance to see Jupiter's moons now, if they do get the opportunity sometime in the future to be able to look through a decent pair of binoculars of a kid's small hobby telescope, they should get a look at Jupiter and its four major moons. It's pretty cool to be able to see those moons. In fact when Galileo first saw them, it began a revolution in astronomical science and the understanding of our world.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

One thing that has always made me wonder though It appears very bright and while I have some binocs I need to save up for my first telescope will I just see a bright object in the sky? do you need a filter to tone down the brightness?.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

One thing that has always made me wonder though It appears very bright and while I have some binocs I need to save up for my first telescope will I just see a bright object in the sky? do you need a filter to tone down the brightness?.

I don't know if you need a filter on your telescope or not to see the bands through the brightness, but the moons appear relatively far from Jupiter, so Jupiter's glare does not obscure them.

If ATS member 'ngchunter' is around, he can probably tell you if you need a filter to see the banding.

Given current events this seems to be the opportunity we were waiting for. Use the tension, find out what the 0 between the amplitudes is and wish for balance, whatever meaning you want to give it. Pray for mankind, because (and I am not knowing, just playing, manipulating, asking) we will be stronger when our forces are enlined. Surface tension people, what defines, you, the very stripped-naked core of you. Don't judge yourself so harsh, look for what you love. Don't panic, be constructive and see what you find as your biggest reason for your inner tensions and turmoils and wish for a solution rather than control. Wish for reason.
I don't want to influence you any more than i maybe already did. Trust yourself and wish for the best for/from all mankinds.
I love you. You are awesome. Endure, don't get scared, or let your scares decide who you are. Never forget: life is beautiful: love it, like yourself and vice versa. fill it with your essence. and be full-filled.

a reply to: Peeple

Have you posted in the wrong thread?.

Planetory alignment causes nothing....

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: Peeple

Have you posted in the wrong thread?.

Planetory alignment causes nothing....

Well, when the Earth and Jupiter are aligned with the Sun on the same side of the Sun, that's when Earth and Jupiter are closest, and that's when Jupiter would appear biggest and brightest. It's a good time to look at it, especially if you have a telescope.

So I think the space exploration forum is a good spot for the OP's thread.

This does happen every year, though -- about every 13 months (although, due to orbits being elliptical, some years' alignments between earth and Jupiter are closer than other years).


EDIT TO ADD:
Whoops! I see now that 'boymonkey' was not responding to the OP. Sorry, 'boymonkey'.
However, the info in my post still stands.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

I have just joined huddersfield astronomical society and have 6 classes and 3 trips out starting next month.
I will be able to use a few different telescopes and learn the basics and then when I have enough cash I will buy myself a telescope.
Can't wait .

a reply to: boymonkey74

It's not just that. It's co-herent with other mystical descriptions, this is the point, when the strongest forces, in this case magnetic fields of the two strongest magnetic fields in our solar system are in line, while we are experiencing a "pole" or "paradigm" shift. This just deducted from the essences from globial written "legends", where the real mayan calendar and all that really comes to a meeting point, so to speak, collide. Not in a terrorfying way, but re-newing. Establishing a new world order, we all so desperately need. It is written in our legend since the day we were born, as a species, we have a mission, a quest a purpose and we are about to find out, maybe. Like i said i don't know, but magnetic-pole shift, solar flares it all is possible, there are just undeniable signs of a big wave coming on the tides of the flow.
But by all means, be who you are and believe what you want, i appreciate everyone who doesn't agree and makes me think.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

One thing that has always made me wonder though It appears very bright and while I have some binocs I need to save up for my first telescope will I just see a bright object in the sky? do you need a filter to tone down the brightness?.

I've never needed a filter to see the cloud bands. I don't do much binocular observing anymore though, my hands aren't steady enough and it's just easier to see everything in the scope.

a reply to: Peeple

That's fantastic, but with all due respect - speaking for myself at least - I try to avoid posting actual science in the hippie threads and let you all be merry amongst each other, so perhaps in a scientific thread one could refrain from posting the old finger cymbal malarky.
Thanks.

a reply to: Peeple

This alignment of Earth being directly between the Sun and Jupiter happens about every 13 months.

Do we have new world orders and/or pole shifts every 13 months? No.

Meanwhile, here's a few photos I took tonight with my Canon 600D and telephoto lens at 300mm

Jupiter and its moons:




Annotated, and with a magnified inset of Jupiter, where I'm very pleased to have captured the dark bands (Stellarium image included for coparison):

a reply to: 1Providence1

WOW why do some people our here make such BS claims as yours this place has many members who are keen amateur astronomers & take pictures of the objects in the night sky!

Check out the thread here Members Pictures and learn something!!!