Two very bright stars can be seen in the eastern night sky before sunrise and after sunset. But these are not stars at all.
Sometimes, if you have paid attention to the sky early in the morning, before sunrise, or after dark, when the sun has set, you may have seen two very bright stars in the sky. But in fact, these are not stars, but two of the most famous planets in the solar system, writes Forbes.
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The bright “star” in the early morning sky is Venus. The planet closest to Earth appeared in the “evening star” phase after sunset from January to September, and then began to dominate the sky with its brightness in the “morning star” phase before sunrise.
Important
In the coming days it will be furthest from the Sun and therefore visible in approximately the middle of the sky, thus visible to many people on the planet due to the reflected light of the Sun. Venus will remain high in the sky for a few months, then emerge into bright sunlight again next spring and will be visible in the sky again after the sun sets in the west next summer.
Because Venus is an inner planet relative to Earth, it can never be seen moving through the night sky the way the outer planets do. In fact, viewed from Earth, Venus appears to have an eight-year cycle in which it orbits the Sun 13 times, moving from the “morning star” phase to the “evening star” phase and back to the “evening star” phase every 19 months.
This is partly due to where the planet is observed. Viewed from where we are in orbit around the sun, Venus appears to move back and forth from sunlight across the night sky after sunset or before dawn.
The bright “star” of the evening is another famous planet – Jupiter. NASA’s Juno spacecraft is currently orbiting the gas giant and capturing stunning images of the planet. And as Focus recently wrote, the device took new photos of Jupiter’s moon Io. The European Space Agency sent the JUICE probe, as previously written, to explore the planet’s three other known moons: Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. Focus. When Jupiter is visible in the sky, you can even see these four moons with the power of binoculars or a small telescope, but only if they do not pass in front of Jupiter’s background.
Jupiter is an outer planet compared to Earth and rotates slower around the Sun. In fact, it takes Jupiter 12 years to complete one revolution around the Sun. Thus, it can be seen moving in the night sky, and the most important factor determining when and where Jupiter can be seen is the position of the Earth.
Once a year, a planet comes between the Sun and the Earth. At this time, Jupiter becomes the largest and brightest planet. So, right now, you can see 100% of Jupiter when it appears in the east before sunrise and in the west after sunset. This year, Jupiter will shine brightest in the sky on November 3, when the planet is in an almost straight line between the Earth and the Sun.
Focus I have already written that astronomers have discovered a new atmospheric phenomenon on Jupiter, about which they previously knew nothing.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.