by APOD Robot » Wed Dec 23, 2020 5:05 am
Jupiter Meets Saturn: A Red Spotted Great Conjunction
Explanation: It was time for their
close-up. Last week
Jupiter and
Saturn passed a tenth of
a degree from each other in what is known a
Great Conjunction. Although the
two planets pass each other on the sky every 20 years, this was the closest pass in nearly four centuries. Taken early in day of the
Great Conjunction, the
featured multiple-exposure combination captures not only both giant planets in a single frame, but also Jupiter's four largest moons (left to right)
Callisto,
Ganymede,
Io, and
Europa -- and Saturn's largest moon
Titan. If you look very closely, the clear
Chilescope image even captures Jupiter's
Great Red Spot. The now-separating planets can still be seen
remarkably close -- within about a degree -- as they set just after the
Sun, toward the west,
each night for the remainder of the year.
[url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201223.html] [img]https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_201223.jpg[/img] [size=150]Jupiter Meets Saturn: A Red Spotted Great Conjunction[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] It was time for their [url=https://www.shmoop.com/quotes/ready-for-my-close-up-mr-demille.html]close-up[/url]. Last week [url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/jupiter/overview/]Jupiter[/url] and [url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/saturn/overview/]Saturn[/url] passed a tenth of [url=https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/degrees.html]a degree[/url] from each other in what is known a [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_conjunction]Great Conjunction[/url]. Although the [url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn]two planets pass[/url] each other on the sky every 20 years, this was the closest pass in nearly four centuries. Taken early in day of the [url=https://www.npr.org/2020/12/22/949118147/photos-great-conjunction-dazzles-stargazers-around-the-world]Great Conjunction[/url], the [url=http://www.damianpeach.com/jup2020/dec21st_conjunction_dp.jpg]featured multiple-exposure combination[/url] captures not only both giant planets in a single frame, but also Jupiter's four largest moons (left to right) [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap950906.html]Callisto[/url], [url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/ganymede/in-depth/]Ganymede[/url], [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110522.html]Io[/url], and [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon)]Europa[/url] -- and Saturn's largest moon [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190703.html]Titan[/url]. If you look very closely, the clear [url=http://www.chilescope.com/about/chilescope/]Chilescope[/url] image even captures Jupiter's [url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/jupiter-s-great-red-spot-a-swirling-mystery]Great Red Spot[/url]. The now-separating planets can still be seen [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_conjunction#/media/File:Jupiter_saturn_separation_2020_Dec.png]remarkably close[/url] -- within about a degree -- as they set just after the [url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/]Sun[/url], toward the west, [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201215.html]each night[/url] for the remainder of the year.
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