Jupiter and its four largest moons will be visible in the sky early Wednesday morning, assuming skygazers are blessed with suitably clear skies.
When Jupiter rises at around 3 a.m. ET on June 14, those still awake will see the planet bright in the sky, next to a crescent moon.
The moon will be illuminated 14 percent, according to Space.com, and at a 2-degree angle from the gas planet.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, with a mass over two and a half times larger than any other planet.
And as it rises tomorrow morning, the gas giant will appear in the sky as a bright star.
If skygazers use a pair of binoculars, clear conditions will treat them to a view of the Galilean satellites—the four largest moons of Jupiter, first discovered in 1610 by Galileo.
They were discovered after the invention of the telescope, and as such, became the first solar system objects discovered after humans began analyzing planets.
They were also the first solar system objects found to be orbiting another planet, with the exception of Earth.
The moons' names are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. These satellites are the most visible objects in the solar system after Saturn. The moons can be seen easily with the simplest of binoculars, and no special equipment is needed. The moons can sometimes even be seen in air with high pollution levels.
As bright as the planet already is, Jupiter is set to be even brighter in the sky in the days and weeks to come. This is because the gas planet is currently in the constellation Aries.
The planet will start to rise earlier with the coming days and weeks. The planet will eventually come to be opposite the sun, probably in November.
This will see it glow extremely bright.
Space.com reports that the view in the sky could be even more illuminated by a phenomenon known as "earthshine."
This is when a dim glow lights up the unlit part of the moon. This is because the sun's light is reflecting from the Earth's surface, back towards the moon.
This phenomenon is only seen in the days before and after a new moon. The best times in the day are either before sunrise, or immediately after sunset.
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
