Look at the east-southeast sky in the early hours of Tuesday morning (June 21) to notice the waning crescent approaching Jupiter as it continues its lunar orbit.
The satellite will sit only at palm width in the lower right corner (or 5 degrees to the southwest sky) of gas giantwhich makes it an interesting goal to observe the sky. You will have plenty of time to notice the duo, as they will remain visible throughout the morning.
“Jupiter will remain visible to the naked eye from sunrise after 1 a.m. local time until almost sunrise, “wrote Chris Vaughn, an amateur astronomer with SkySafari software who monitors Space.com. Night sky calendar.
The exact time of the event varies depending on your specific location, so you’ll want to check out a sky monitoring app like SkySafari or software like Starry Night to confirm the local time to search. Our choices for the best star monitoring apps can help you with your planning.
Connected: The brightest planets in the night sky in June: How to see them (and when)
neither The moon will remain visible in the morning daytime sky, it is possible to use the satellite as a guide to spot Jupiter in daylight through binoculars, according to Vaughn. To find the gas giant, position the moon at the bottom of your field of vision.
Summer also begins in the Northern Hemisphere on Tuesday (June 21) as summer solstice marks the longest day of the year.
It’s Jupiter solar systemis the largest planet and hosts a huge 79 moons. The planet contains more than twice the mass of all the other planets in the solar system combined, as well as a scandalous storm that is twice as wide as The Earth – on Big red spot.
We hope you take a good picture of the moon as it approaches Jupiter? Our guide for how to photograph the moon there are some useful tips. If you are looking for a camera, here is our review of the best astrophotography cameras and the best astrophotography lenses. As always, our guides for the best telescopes and the best binoculars can help you prepare for the next great sky watching event.
The moon approaching Jupiter is not the only sky-watching event to watch out for this month. Throughout June, a rare “parade of planets” will be seen in the sky before dawn, while all five planets with the naked eye line up in orbital order from the sun. From left to right in the southeastern sky you will be able to notice mercury, Venus, March, Jupiter and Saturn all in a row. (Mercury, which is usually obscured by the sun’s rays, will become easier to spot as the moon matures.)
The best opportunity to see this spectacle may come on June 24, as Mercury should rise about an hour before the sun, according to press release (opens in a new section) from Sky & Telescope.
Throughout June, the Moon will continue to travel past the morning planets, embarking on a planetary “meeting and greeting.” After Jupiter, the next stop on the orbit is Mars on June 22, Venus on June 26, and finally Mercury on June 27.
Editor’s note: If you take a great photo of the moon during her travels and want to share it with Space.com readers, send your photos, comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and so on Facebook.
