Jupiter Winking

I am trying to find out if anyone knows what would cause the phenom that I saw today.

I was out back at aprox 3:30am when I saw Jupiter essentially wink out. I stayed unlit for several minutes then slowly came back as though it was a CLF light bulb turning on and warming up.

This occurred 3-4 time in an hour period. I do not have any form of camera that would take video good enough to see this. I can not say I have seen a planet act like this before. There were no clouds around,as I could still see the other stars next to Jupiter. Also the moon was not in the sky from my viewpoint either so I know it was not some sort of light inference from it.

Perhaps it was just temporary blocked in your view OP from some of the meteor showers and or something.

NAMASTE*******

reply to post by Azdraik


I would assume it to most likely be something similar to a dust cloud, or some sort of atmospheric disturbance. If a dust cloud didn't travel between Jupiter and your observation point, perhaps it was something in our local atmosphere and the intrinsic brightness of the surrounding stars was still able to shine through. I'm definitely not pretending to know the answer to your question and just throwing a couple of ideas out there. What I do know though, is that Jupiter didn't just "turn off" for a minute. The explanation is likely to be pretty mundane, as much as we like to hope it isn't.


Cheers,
Nos

When you star at a dot for a while it disappears because of the blind spot in you eye retina. You can find out where yours is by staring for a few seconds at black lines on white paper.

Where exactly in the world were you at 3:30am?

The time is good to know but without a time zone or location its going to be tough finding what your view angle was at the time.

My guess would be a cloud or some kind of space junk. But since you say it took several minutes, I think a cloud inside earths atmosphere is most likely.
Even though it wasn't cloudy, there could still have been a few small clouds wandering by - and up against a dark surface like the night sky, they can be hard to spot. Especially when they moon isn't out to cast light on them.

reply to post by Azdraik


I don't know exactly where you are located, but for most people, Jupiter is just rising in the east at 3:30 AM local time.

Considering Jupiter was low on the horizon, and you would have been viewing it through a lot of atmosphere (which is the case when we look at items near the horizon, which is why sunsets/sunrises look red), I would suspect that it was a cloud or other atmospheric disturbance in the way.

If it was a cloud. it may have been hard to notice (especially in the darkness of night), because being low on the horizon, you would have been looking at it more edge-on. If you've ever noticed clouds on the horizon are seen more edge-on and look "flattened" due to perspective.

First I would like to say you arent the only one to see something hinky going on with Jupiter.

At least for you it winked on and off. Back in March of 2010 it actually slid across the sky and just winked out for me. Was quite startling to say the least as I had been watching it in the same place for many mornings rise and just do its planet thing.

At the time I actually thought it was Venus, but I was corrected here later by members that it was Jupiter for that time of year rising in the eastern morning sky. It was also a very clear and brisk morning with dawn just beginning to break.

It was because of my job at the time that I was parked at the same place at the same time over the course of many days to just be used to seeing it through my windshield as it was right in front of me, and being one to always watch the sky I just always thought it was beautiful to watch rise in the morning.

It probably slid a good 6 inches across my windshield before it winked out and that is quite a distance to cover in space I would imagine. I know what I saw and I'll never for get it.

I have seen other post around here from people having similar experiences, hopefully they will show up and comment as well for you.

I watched Jupiter rise this morning at about 3:30-4 am eastern time and it looked perfectly normal to me. You didn't mention a time zone though. All was well with its position as well; my goto telescope landed right on it when commanded to.

Originally posted by onehuman
First I would like to say you arent the only one to see something hinky going on with Jupiter.

At least for you it winked on and off. Back in March of 2010 it actually slid across the sky and just winked out for me. Was quite startling to say the least as I had been watching it in the same place for many mornings rise and just do its planet thing...

...

...It probably slid a good 6 inches across my windshield before it winked out and that is quite a distance to cover in space I would imagine. I know what I saw and I'll never for get it.

I'm not sure what you saw zip across the sky as you looked through your windshield, but I doubt it was Jupiter. I'm not sure how a planet could have appeared to instantaneously zip 6 inches across the sky (which, as you pointed out, is even farther in space) without being ripped apart.

reply to post by Azdraik


I don't know why Jupiter was Winking at you.... Maybe saying Hi!?

I will however tell you... THAT'S THE MOST ADORABLE HUSKY AVATAR PIC EVER!~ Awwwwww!!! I want to play with the puppy~

Good luck and I hope you find your answer.

If it was low on the horizon, it might have gone behind some structure or landscape feature, like a house ot a tree. If it was higher up, it was probably a small cloud.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


Well I dont know what it was either. As far as I was concerned I had been watching venus rise parked in the same spot at the same time for a few weeks. When it moved across my windshield and blinked out, it almost seemed to have the effect like the opening to Star Treck when the Enterprise hit warp speed.

I didnt know until later from members here that it was actually Jupiter, not Venus in the sky or supposedly thats what it was.

Beats me, all I know is what I saw. Take it for what you will.

Just to edit, it didnt didnt move fast across my windshield, it sort of just had a smooth slide. It was when it winked out , that it gave the other illusion. It probably only took a few seconds for it all to happen though. It never did appear again that morning in that space anyway

I am in Arizona. As for dust and or something blocking Jupiter, I would like to think that is what caused it but, that would cause other stars to vanish as well due to them being blocked. None of the dim stars near Jupiter ever vanished just Jupiter itself.

Originally posted by Azdraik
I am in Arizona. As for dust and or something blocking Jupiter, I would like to think that is what caused it but, that would cause other stars to vanish as well due to them being blocked. None of the dim stars near Jupiter ever vanished just Jupiter itself.

Well in that case it would have been about 6:30 am my time, right when I was wrapping up my attempt to hunt for comet ISON. I took a look at Jupiter then as well as I was getting ready to tear down my telescope. It was shining bright for me, didn't appear to dim or wink out. It was probably a small very distant cloud that blocked Jupiter momentarily but not nearby stars.