If there is a starry night sky above you these days you should take a look up. The orbits of Jupiter and Earth are now closer than they have been in a long time. Since 1963, the two planets have never been closer. This means that you can only see the largest planet in the solar system from Earth with binoculars. – A mosquito in comparison For star enthusiast Stig-Arne Winnem from Bodø, it is very special to now be able to see Jupiter so clearly. – You can see fine surface details and belts. You can also clearly see the largest moons around the planet. I have never before seen Jupiter as close as I am now. In addition, the planet is high in the sky. This makes it brighter. From the cabin in Sulitjelma, Stig-Arne had a photo taken of Jupiter with its largest moons. Photo: STIG-ARNE WINNEM The planet Jupiter rotates around its own axis in just under ten hours. This means that the planet has the shortest day among the planets in the solar system. In addition, the planet is very large. Jupiter’s mass is twice as large as the mass of all the other planets in the solar system combined. – Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. The globe is only like a gnat in comparison. There are enormous distances, says Winnem. But compared to the sun, Jupiter is barely a thousandth. Stig-Arne Winnem advises everyone to look a little extra up at the starry sky these days. Photo: Private – Special constellation Stephanie Werner, professor at the University of Oslo, says that the reason why it is so rare that we see Jupiter as close as now is that the planets move in different rhythms around the sun. – When they are both on the same side of the sun, they can get closer to each other, she says. In addition, the path is elliptical. Right now the tips of the ellipses are on the same side. Earth’s ellipse is farthest from the Sun, and Jupiter is closer. – It is a special constellation. For the living, it is exciting. Therefore, you can see Jupiter largest now and easily see the four moons of Jupiter. Professor Stephanie Werner, at the University of Oslo. Photo: UiO Jupiter takes 11.86 years to complete an orbit around the Sun. But the planet rotates around its own axis in just under ten hours, which means that Jupiter has the shortest day among the planets in the solar system. In mythology, Jupiter is considered a planet of war. And it is perhaps not so strange, because it storms well on the planet. The most characteristic feature of Jupiter is the “Great Red Spot”, which is a storm bigger than Earth that has been going on for several hundred years. Shining like a star And if you’ve looked up in the sky and seen a star that shines a little brighter than the others in recent days, it may well be Jupiter that you’ve seen. It is visible with the naked eye. – The stars twinkle, but the planets don’t twinkle. They have even light because they are closer. This is how you can tell the difference, explains Werner. Jupiter is also a gas planet. The researchers believe it is made up of hydrogen and helium, like the sun. – Why isn’t Jupiter a star then? – It is a little too small. If Jupiter were 50 times larger it would be a star. But it lacks the inner activity that a star has. Small in the big picture For the universe enthusiast in Bodø, there is no doubt what he does when the stars look out these days. He takes out the binoculars. Winnem gets several great subjects in the dark in Sulitjelma. With the right equipment and light, you can clearly see the Milky Way in the sky. Photo: Stig-Arne Winnem – I think it is fascinating that it is possible to see it. For him, it is precisely the knowledge that we are so small in the grand scheme of things that makes the planets and stars so interesting. – We humans are so small in universal contexts that we are nothing. There are hundreds of billions of stars in a galaxy. And there are hundreds of billions of galaxies left. That’s why he advises everyone now: find a place with little light pollution and look to the south.
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Jupiter is closer to Earth than in a very long time – news Nordland
