Jupiter-Mercury conjunction will shine in the sky this weekend

by



[ad_1]

A conjunction occurs when two objects appear close together in the sky, but they can actually be millions of miles apart, according to Thomas Beatty, an assistant astronomer at the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona at Tucson.

It’s akin to a merry-go-round, he said, with some animals lining up as they circle around the center of the promenade.

To the naked eye, the planets will look like two bright stars, Beatty said.

The best time to see the conjunction is early in the morning, but it might be difficult to see in the northern hemisphere, according to EarthSky. Views will be much better in the Southern Hemisphere due to the angle of Earth in the sky.

Flight over the asteroid Apophis

An asteroid will fly over between Friday and Saturday, according to EarthSky. Apophis, an asteroid that spans over 1,312 feet, will be closest to Earth – more than 10 million kilometers from our planet or 44 times farther than the moon – on March 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Unlike the conjunction, it likely won’t be visible to the naked eye, Beatty said. Astronomers can view the asteroid flyby online for free through the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome.

When the asteroid was first discovered in 2004, scientists believed the asteroid had a small chance of hitting Earth in 2029, Beatty said.

There was a one in 10,000 chance that the asteroid would collide with Earth, but given the damage it would cause, “a one in 10,000 chance is somehow unacceptable from our perspective of humanity.” , did he declare.

Fortunately, the Apophis flyby in 2013 allowed scientists to collect better metrics and the new numbers show the odds are extremely low, Beatty added.

He said the large asteroid will still pass nearby in 2029 – around 24,000 miles from Earth, according to EarthSky – and that it will be easier to see in the sky compared to the 2021 flyby.

Meteor showers

There’s a bit of a wait until the next meteor shower, the popular Lyrids in April. The Lyrids will peak on April 22 and be best seen in the northern hemisphere – but the moon will be 68% full, according to the American Meteor Society.

The Eta Aquariids follow shortly thereafter, peaking on May 5 when the moon is 38% full. This downpour is best seen in the southern tropics, but will still produce an average downpour for those north of the equator.

The Milky Way is viewed from Glacier Point Trailside in Yosemite National Park, California.

Delta Aquariids are also best viewed from the southern tropics and will peak between July 28 and July 29, when the moon is 74% full.

Interestingly, another meteor shower peaks on the same night – the Alpha Capricornids. Although this is a much weaker downpour, it is known to produce brilliant fireballs during the peak. And it will be visible to those on either side of the equator.

The Perseid meteor shower, the most popular of the year, will peak between August 11 and 12 in the northern hemisphere, when the moon is only 13% full.

Here’s the meteor shower schedule for the rest of the year, according to EarthSky’s meteor shower outlook.
  • October 8: Draconids
  • October 21: Orionides
  • November 4 to 5: Taurides du Sud
  • November 11 to 12: Taurides du Nord
  • November 17: Leonids
  • December 13 to 14: Geminids
  • December 22: Ursides

Solar and lunar eclipses

This year there will be two solar eclipses and two moon eclipses – and three of them will be visible to some in North America, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

A total lunar eclipse will occur on May 26, best seen by those in western North America and Hawaii from 4:46 a.m. ET to 9:51 a.m. ET.

An annular solar eclipse will occur on June 10, visible over northern and northeastern North America from 4:12 a.m. ET to 9:11 a.m. ET. The sun will not be completely blocked by the moon, so be sure to wear eclipse glasses to safely view this event.

November 19 will see a partial lunar eclipse, and sky watchers in North America and Hawaii will be able to see it between 1 a.m.ET and 7:06 a.m.ET.

And the year ends with a total solar eclipse on December 4th. It won’t be seen in North America, but those in the Falkland Islands, the southern tip of Africa, Antarctica and southeast Australia will be able to spot it.

Visible planets

Skywatchers will have multiple opportunities to spot the planets in our skies on certain mornings and evenings throughout 2021, according to the Farmer’s Almanac planetary guide.

Most of them can be seen with the naked eye, with the exception of distant Neptune, but binoculars or a telescope will provide the best view.

Mercury will look like a bright star in the morning sky from February 28 to March 20, June 27 to July 16, and October 18 to November 1. It will shine in the night sky from May 3 to May 24, August 31 to September 21, and November 29 to December 31.

Venus, our closest neighbor in the solar system, will appear in the western sky at dusk on the evenings of May 24 through December 31. It is the second brightest object in our sky after the moon.

3 missions prepare to explore Mars and other space news expected in 2021

Mars makes its reddish appearance in the morning sky between November 24 and December 31 and will be visible in the evening sky between January 1 and August 22.

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is the third brightest object in our sky. It will be on display in the morning sky between February 17 and August 19. Look for it on the evenings of August 20 through December 31 – but it will be at its peak from August 8 through September 2.

Saturn’s rings are only visible through a telescope, but the planet itself can still be seen with the naked eye on the mornings of February 10 to August 1 and the evenings of August 2 to December 31. 4.

Binoculars or a telescope will help you spot Uranus’ greenish glow on the mornings of May 16 to November 3 and the evenings of January 1 to April 12 and November 4 to December 31 – but at its most vivid between August 28 and the 31st of December.

And our furthest neighbor in the solar system, Neptune will be visible through a telescope on mornings March 27 through September 13 and evenings September 14 through December 31. It will be at its brightest between July 19 and November 8.

[ad_2]

Source link