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HomeLatest NewsJupiter will come closest to Earth in more than 60 years today

Jupiter will come closest to Earth in more than 60 years today

ST. George ST. GEORGE Jupiter will appear larger in brightness and size than for over five decades on Monday night when the huge gas giant is nearer to Earth close enough that some moons of Jupiter will be awe-inspiringly visible.

According to NASA the huge gas planet will be in view when it is at opposition, meaning that it is rising in the east when sunset approaches in west. This is an astronomical procedure that happens at least every thirteen months.

The thing that makes this particular event special is the fact that Jupiter’s orbit had not brought the gas giant so closer in proximity to Earth in the past since 1963 which makes this year’s visit an incredible chance to see the largest object in the solar system.

Opposition is a result of the orbits of Jupiter and Earth since they both follow an elliptical path around the sun. They aren’t perfect circles however, they are elongated orbits meaning that the distance between two planets is different in their journey through the solar system.

Jupiter’s closest proximity to Earth seldom coincides with opposition however this year, it does which makes this very close proximity to the blue marble a special event.

For those who love watching the sky who live in Southern Utah, Jupiter will be visible if you look east after sunset. This is when the gas giant will show up in the twilight , as the most bright thing on the sky at night, apart from moon. The most optimal viewing times are between 7:29 p.m. Monday to dawn on the Tuesday of this week, as per TimeandDate.

At its closest point Jupiter will be 367 million miles away from the surface of Earth This is almost twice as far as Jupiter lies at the furthest point , which is about 600 million miles away from its rock-bound neighbor.

Adam Kobelski, a research astrophysicist with the NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said in a statement released last week that the bands which runs across Jupiter or at most the central band and four or three moons of Jupiter should be easily visible using a set of binoculars.

“It’s crucial to keep in mind that Galileo observed these moons using 17th century optics” Kobelski said, adding that the stable mount is among the most important components of any system is being used.

Kobelski added the Jupiter’s “Great Red Spot” as well as other bands could be observed with greater clarity with a bigger telescope. This will also increase the visibility of Jupiter’s other distinctive aspects.

For the best viewing experience, NASA recommends a high elevation which is dark, dry and free of pollution. This view of Jupiter will last for a few days following Monday. And, if you stay outside of the moon the gas giant is expected to be among one of the brightest objects visible in the evening sky NASA says.

Jupiter is the largest gaz ball of the solar system

Jupiter is three times more large as Earth and is more than two times larger than all the other planets of the solar system together. The area of Jupiter is greater than 23.7 billion sq miles however, because it’s composed by helium and hydrogen it’s only one-fifth that of Earth.

In spite of its size and mass Jupiter remains the fastest rotating planet within the solar system, reaching speeds of over 28,000 mph, which allows this gas giant complete an entire trip across the Sun in just 10 hours NASA declares.

It’s also the third-highest-luminous star in our solar system following Venus and the moon of Earth.

Since Jupiter is made up of gas and liquid, its surface is smooth which means it does not have high and low points as well as valleys and mountains similar to what you find on the planets with rocky surfaces. If Jupiter became any larger it could actually become smaller, as the additional mass makes the planet more dense and would result in it collapsing on itself.

Jupiter is also home to a circular system , which scientists believe was formed by materials ejected by its moons when they’re hit by meteorite collisions. It also has the highest magnetic field within the Solar System that is generated through the swirling movement of conducting materials inside the liquid hydrogen core.

The gas giant is home to confirmed and named satellites However, researchers estimate there are more than 200 moons orbiting around the gas giant. The 4 major moons also referred by the Galilean Moons are among the biggest in the solar system. They are Lo, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Jupiter is the most powerful magnetic field of the solar system. It is created by the swirling movement of metallic substances that travel inside the liquid hydrogen core which is made more efficient because of Jupiter’s fast rotation.

The whirling clouds as well as the storms that are visible from gas giant’s surface is only 38 miles wide and composed of ammonia crystals but beneath the cloud layer scientists believe that it’s pure Hydrogen and Helium that are all of the way down.

“The Big Red Spot

The spot was discovered in 1665. Great Red Spot is one of Jupiter’s most famous features, and was discovered by Italian Astronomer Giovanni Cassini. The spot is actually an anticyclonic storm situated just south of Jupiter’s equator . It was caused by Jupiter’s fast-moving and turbulent atmospheric conditions, Space.com says.

The storm has been in a raging state for over 350 years and is huge with a diameter of 15,000 miles and more than 8,900 miles in height. It’s so massive in fact that three Earth-sized planets could be contained within its dimensions.

Since there is no solid base to land on, should a person tried to leap onto Jupiter via a spacecraft it would end quickly. They wouldn’t make it within 200 miles of the planet since radiation could penetrate the spacesuit and cause them to be dead.

Even with a spacesuit, humans could drop from the very top of the atmosphere at speeds of more than 110,000 mph, thanks to Jupiter’s massive gravity and around 150 miles below, temperatures would fall to temperatures of 240 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.

The voyage would go on in a raging spiral with 300-mph wind speeds that were created by Jupiter’s clouds that surround the planet that is fastest moving that is part of our solar system. A further 75 miles are the deepest that any object has ever gone through the giant gas. It was a depth that was made possible in the year 1995 the year that NASA’s Galileo probe made it to that depth before being destroyed by the force in Jupiter’s atmosphere.

After a 12-hour trip it would be dark as it goes down it goes until it is dark, with the exception of the light from lighting storms that are occurring all around. As the journey progresses, temperatures would begin to rise as the journey continues to lower and also the massive pressure in the physical world that is 1000 times more to Earth’s and at the gas giant’s core it will be just as high as that of the Sun.

However however, even if someone was able to escape metal liquids as well as other dangers through Jupiter’s core, they’d be trapped in Jupiter’s atmospheric pressure and never able to be able to escape.

Jupiter is visible for a few days following the close approach of Monday and, with clear skies over the sky the gas giant is likely to be the most visible object that can be seen in the skies.

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