The night sky will showcase a captivating spectacle on Saturday (Oct. 28), as the two most brilliant objects come together. If you look towards the east-northeast around 7 p.m. local daylight time, you will witness the full moon of October, known as the Hunter’s moon. Positioned just 4.5 degrees to the lower left of the moon, you will also get to see the majestic light of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.
To help gauge the distance between the moon and Jupiter, hold your clenched fist at arm’s length. The separation between them will roughly be equivalent to half a fist. Additionally, if you stay awake throughout the night, you will notice the moon steadily drawing closer to Jupiter, about its own diameter every hour.
By approximately 1 a.m. local daylight time on Sunday (Oct. 29), both the moon and planet will reach their highest point in the southern sky. At this point, the moon will appear noticeably nearer to Jupiter’s upper right.
As the days progress, the moon will move away to the east, gradually diminishing in brightness. Jupiter will then reign supreme over the October night. On Nov. 3, Jupiter will reach opposition against the backdrop of Aries, the ram. This means that it will rise at sunset, traverse the sky from east to west during the night, and set at sunrise. From November onwards, Jupiter will already be visible in the eastern sky when the sun sets.
Opposition brings outer planets closest to Earth, making them appear more vibrant. Jupiter’s current brilliance is breathtaking, with an eye-popping magnitude of -2.9. It shines four times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. However, this year’s apparition of Jupiter is particularly exceptional. In addition to reaching opposition, Jupiter is also at perihelion. This is the point in its orbit where it is closest to the sun. Consequently, it is also particularly near to Earth. In fact, Jupiter is 33 light-minutes away from Earth this month, compared to its most distant opposition in 2017.
Observing Jupiter through a telescope offers a visual treat. Its apparent disk size is only slightly smaller than last year, and it displays various bands and intricate features, making it the most generous planet in terms of surface area and visible details. After this year, Jupiter will not attain such extreme brilliance until 2034.
On Saturday evening, if you have binoculars or a telescope, you will also have the opportunity to witness three of Jupiter’s famous Galilean satellites. Io will be situated close to the planet, while Callisto will be positioned below it. Europa will be farther to the right (west) of Jupiter.
Between 10:02 p.m. and 12:19 a.m. EDT on Sunday (Oct. 29), Io and its shadow will pass in front of Jupiter. This rare event, known as a shadow transit, can be observed with moderate-sized telescopes. While Io’s shadow will appear as a small black dot, the moon itself may be difficult to distinguish from the background. However, it will briefly appear as a white dot just as it is about to move off Jupiter’s west limb. The shadow will separate from the planet at 12:12 a.m. EDT on Saturday (0412 GMT Sunday).
Exciting Celestial Event: October 28th Moon-Jupiter Conjunction
