LUDHIANA: A celestial event, the opposition of Jupiter, carries with it some extra excitement this year. It will be very close to earth on Friday.
Opposition is when Jupiter, the Earth and the Sun form a straight line and Jupiter and the Sun are apart from our viewing location. This means that Jupiter rises in the East when the sun sets in the West, and sets in the west when the Sun rises in the east.
"Jupiter is very easy to find during this month, as it is the brightest planet in the evening sky, shining brilliantly at -2.9 apparent magnitude. It rises in the East just after sunset and is overhead at around midnight," said Director, Nehru Planetarium, Dr Rathnasree on Thursday.
She said: "Once in a year, Jupiter (as do all outer planets) goes through an opposition rising with sunset. Opposition is also the time when these outer planets become closest to the earth for that cycle. It is certainly going to be the brightest object after the moon, in the evening skies, around this opposition which is happening on August 14, this year."
The Director said: "The icing on the cake comes from the fact that this year also happens to be the time when it is equinox time on Jupiter. Unlike the earth, equinox comes to Jupiter once in about six years."
"Coincidentally, equinox has also come to Saturn this year a phenomenon that happens once in about 15 years. While, equinox on Saturn has been dimming its rings, equinox on Jupiter brings the movements of its four Galilean satellites in a plane that is edge on as seen from the earth," she said.
She said: "This leads to many interesting mutual events related to the Galilean satellites of Jupiter a merry dance where one satellite could move in front of another or the shadow of one satellite could fall on another, mysteriously blinking out that satellite for a moment. All such events related to the moons of Jupiter take place at the same time, as seen from anywhere on earth."
The Director said: The year 2009 contains many such interesting events of satellites of Jupiter, which can be seen through small telescopes. There is a special programme of the International Year of Astronomy, which asks for worldwide observations images.