|
Credit & Copyright: Damian Peach
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.
Gallery:
Notable images of the Great Conjunction submitted to APOD
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: conjunction
Publications with words: conjunction
See also: