![]() We thank the International Occultation Timers Association (IOTA) for viewing data, which was taken from this site, which provides times for 953 different locations within the occultation viewing zone. ![]() However, the moon will show you just where to look. ![]() Not only will it appear much smaller (a sixtieth of the moon's diameter), but worse, it will have an even lower surface brightness. Sweep around this region of the sky, then once you've got the moon, the next challenge is Jupiter. But remember that the crescent moon will have a low surface brightness that will probably make it hardly distinguishable from the sky itself. If you have a "Go-To" telescope mount or a telescope equipped with setting circles, you can be more accurate about it. Point your scope about 28 degrees (nearly three fists-widths at arm's length) from the sun, mostly to the right and, for most locations, about 15 degrees higher. A lot will depend on the transparency of the sky - in other words, the deepness of its blue color. Give yourself plenty of time in advance to do this. If you're search after sunrise, the challenge will be finding the moon and Jupiter at all. The occultation happens during the early morning, with the moon and Jupiter generally being somewhat higher than the sun and well off to its right. That's where you will find the slender lunar sliver with Jupiter sitting a degree or less to its left. About 30 to 40 minutes prior to sunup, look very near to the horizon, slightly north of due east. Probably the easiest option is to locate the moon and Jupiter before sunrise and track them into the day. But your telescope still may show this interesting event. Where Jupiter is occulted in broad daylight - and that will be the case anywhere east of a line running roughly from central Montana down to central Louisiana - it will take place against a bright blue sky (assuming the weather cooperates!). (Image credit: Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty Images) Problematic visibility farther east The bodies are all shown to the correct scale, as viewed from a distance somewhere beyond the orbit of Callisto. From left to right the bodies are Io, Callisto, Jupiter (with the shadow of Io cast upon it), Ganymede and Europa. Instead of popping out instantaneously like a star, these satellites will "ooze" into view because their disks have an appreciable angular size.Īrtwork of Jupiter and its largest four (Galilean) moons. In fact, as seen from California, Jupiter's emergence is proceeded by these two satellites by 11 and 7 minutes respectively. Well to the west of Jupiter will be Callisto and Ganymede. Europa will not be visible as it will be immersed in Jupiter's shadow, but Io will be situated very near to Jupiter's eastern limb. So far as the Galilean satellites are concerned, they can be glimpsed wherever the sun is at least five degrees below the horizon the sky should still be sufficiently dark enough to see them with a telescope. The emergence of Jupiter from behind the moon's dark limb near mid-twilight could be quite spectacular. Unfortunately, for western and southern sections of California, Jupiter will slip behind the moon prior to moonrise when the moon first appears above the horizon (for places like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego), Jupiter will already be behind the moon.Īs for the reappearance, the western halves of Oregon, Nevada and Arizona as well as all of California are most favored, near and along the Pacific coast of the Golden State, the sun will be about eight degrees below the horizon, while the moon will be a similar distance above the horizon.
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