Sep. 18, 2010 at 9:37pm with 127 notes
Reblogged from itsfullofstars
itsfullofstars: Opposite the SunImage Credit & Copyright: Babak Tafreshi (TWAN)  Explanation: Chances are the brightest star you’ve seen lately is actually planet Jupiter. Jupiter rules the sky in this labeled view of a starry September night from the Alborz mountains in Iran, complete with the trail of a red flashlight illuminating the mountain road. On September 21st (Universal Time) Jupiter will be at opposition, the point opposite the Sun along its orbit, rising just as the Sun sets. For this opposition, Jupiter will be slightly brighter and closer to planet Earth than in any year since 1963. Much fainter and also approaching its own opposition on September 21st, is the distant planet Uranus. Very near Jupiter on the sky, the fainter planet is easy to spot in binoculars (similar to the inset view), well above and right of brilliant Jupiter and about as bright as one of Jupiter’s own Galilean moons. Remarkably close to the opposition of both planets, the point on the sky exactly opposite the Sun on September 23rd is marked the Vernal Equinox. On that date, a Full Moon will join the celestial scene. Of course, any Full Moon is also at opposition.

itsfullofstars:

Opposite the Sun
Image Credit & Copyright: Babak Tafreshi (TWAN) 

Explanation: Chances are the brightest star you’ve seen lately is actually planet Jupiter. Jupiter rules the sky in this labeled view of a starry September night from the Alborz mountains in Iran, complete with the trail of a red flashlight illuminating the mountain road. On September 21st (Universal Time) Jupiter will be at opposition, the point opposite the Sun along its orbit, rising just as the Sun sets. For this opposition, Jupiter will be slightly brighter and closer to planet Earth than in any year since 1963. Much fainter and also approaching its own opposition on September 21st, is the distant planet Uranus. Very near Jupiter on the sky, the fainter planet is easy to spot in binoculars (similar to the inset view), well above and right of brilliant Jupiter and about as bright as one of Jupiter’s own Galilean moons. Remarkably close to the opposition of both planets, the point on the sky exactly opposite the Sun on September 23rd is marked the Vernal Equinox. On that date, a Full Moon will join the celestial scene. Of course, any Full Moon is also at opposition.

  1. unconventional-creativity reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  2. shinoddddd reblogged this from ouija
  3. cosmicblip reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  4. havinagreatday reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  5. missalation reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  6. kailasaur reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  7. nickabod reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  8. nemoi reblogged this from do-nothing
  9. theyliveinsideus reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  10. mehhs-ina reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  11. ezmel-azzaro reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  12. xwidep reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  13. truthinyoureyes reblogged this from one-and-the-same
  14. lauluplui reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  15. takemi551 reblogged this from do-nothing
  16. moonisnotastar reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  17. do-nothing reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  18. one-and-the-same reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  19. melizzaaa reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  20. billloney reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  21. xwinami reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  22. jayjayisthename reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  23. ouija reblogged this from itsfullofstars