You could see Jupiter AND Mars side-by-side in the sky this weekend , II Planets on the Wing , II Wake up early on Sunday to see Mars and Jupiter side by side
Lately, bright Jupiter and fainter Mars have been easy to spot for early morning skygazers. Before dawn on January 7 the two naked-eye planets will reach a close conjunction near the horizon, only 1/4 degree apart in predawn eastern skies. That apparent separation corresponds to about half the angular diameter of a Full Moon.
Just off the wing of a high-flying aircraft in this snapshot from early morning January 5, Jupiter (left) and Mars (middle) are also lined-up with the well-balanced Zubenelgenubi (right), alpha star of the constellation Libra. Below are lights from central Europe near Prague, Czech Republic, planet Earth.
Image Credit & Copyright: Dong Han
Stargazers could be in for a treat this weekend with the chance of a double planet sighting in the night sky.
Jupiter and Mars should appear side-by-side in the sky looking like "very bright stars" in the early hours of Sunday - and with the weather forecast predicting a clear night , there's could be a really good view of the cosmic event.
The planetary conjunction will be visible to the naked eye before sunrise at around 3.40am, but the pair will be extremely low on the southern horizon.
According to astronomer Tom Kerss, of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the best time to observe the celestial event in the UK will be between 6.30am and 7am, when the planets "will be about 20 degrees above the horizon due south" with Jupiter shining "about 20 times brighter".
He added: "They should remain clearly visible even as the dawn twilight begins to emerge.
"The planets will initially appear straight down in a vertical line with Jupiter above and Mars underneath, but as they move apart they will appear as a diagonal line, with Jupiter on the top left and Mars on the bottom right."
Despite being more than 369 million miles apart, the planets will appear to be very close together, forming a nearly straight line with the Earth - an event known in astronomy as a syzygy.
Mr Kerss said: "At just a fraction of a degree apart in the sky, you'll be able to cover both of them easily using the tip of your little finger on an outstretched arm."
For sky-gazers wanting to see the planets, Mr Kerss advised making sure the southern view is not obscured by buildings or trees.
He said: "The two planets will be unmistakable as apparently very bright stars, with Mars showing a pronounced orange colour against the pale yellow-white Jupiter.
"The gas giant, despite being considerably farther away than its small rocky neighbour, will shine about 20 times brighter as seen from Earth."
While conjunctions are not uncommon, Mr Kerss says the planets' close approach will be "uncommonly beautiful, particularly when they appear so bright or show colour".
Mars and Jupiter will not coincide in this way again until March 2020.
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The next instance when they would be marginally closer than this time falls on December 1, 2033.
Wake up very early, 3.30 a.m. to be precise, on January 7 to see Mars and Jupiter side by side. If you continue your Sunday slumber, you will have to wait 15 more years to witness a better version of the event.
Ajay Talwar, an astrophotographer and the India Representative in The World At Night (TWAN), a project that features images of the night sky, explained this celestial conjunction in an email interview with The Hindu.
How close will the two planets be?
Jupiter and Mars are far from each other in space, but as seen from Earth, the two bright planets will seem to rise together in a celestial conjunction, on January 7, 2018. At their closest, the apparent separation between the two would be just 12 minutes of arc, i.e. one-sixth of a degree. As a handy reference, the diameter of Moon is about 31 minutes of arc.
What time can I see the planets and which direction should I be looking at ?
Jupiter and Mars will rise after 2:30 a.m. in the constellation of Libra, close to the brightest star of Libra - Zubenelgenubi.
Observe around 3:30 a.m. towards the east-southeast and you will not be able to miss the planet pair. These days, in the age of smart phones, you can install a free app such as Sky Map to confirm Jupiter and Mars in the sky. You just need to point the phone towards the eastern direction.
When can I next see both these planets together?
This is quite a close conjunction between Jupiter and Mars. Although conjunctions between them would occur on March 20, 2020, May 29, 2022 and more, the next instance when they would be marginally closer than this time falls on December 1, 2033.
As you can see them only as brighter stars from Earth, here a few pictures to show you how the planets look up-close.
The pictures of Mars were taken by Curiosity Mars rover's Mast Camera (Mastcam); and those of Jupiter were taken by the Juno space probe, orbiting Jupiter.
MARS
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Image taken in March 2017 shows ripples and other such textures on the Mars surface.
This image taken in September 2016 shows layered rocks on the Mars surface.
Sand grains and small nodules seen on the Mars surface.
A small mount and mineral veins are seen in this picture taken in March 2015.
JUPITER
Juno took this picture of Jupiter’s clouds in December 2017.
Picture taken in October 2017 shows clouds over the Northern hemisphere of Jupiter.
Multiple images taken by Juno were combined and colour-enhanced to produce this picture of Jupiter's south pole. The image was released by NASA in May 2017.
Titled “Jovey McJupiterface” by NASA, this picture shows two white storms which look like eyeballs making a grumpy face on Jupiter. The picture was taken by Juno in May 2017.
You could see Jupiter AND Mars side-by-side in the sky this weekend , II Planets on the Wing , II Wake up early on Sunday to see Mars and Jupiter side by side
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