Jupiter in the Summer Sky + New Close Up Images!

Jupiter is dominating our late spring skies. It is visible as soon as the Sun sets, and besides the Moon, is the brightest object in the night sky right now. Read on to learn how to identify it from your backyard, and check out some fantastic new close up images from the Juno mission!

Look to the south as soon as the Sun sets, and you should easily be able to pick out Jupiter. It is brighter than any of the surrounding stars, and fairly high in the sky.

Find Jupiter high in the south as soon as it is dark. Jupiter will be the brightest object in the sky besides the Moon. Image: Stellarium and Me

As the night moves on and the Earth rotates, Jupiter will appear to move with the stars from the south towards the west. If you are looking later at night, Jupiter will be in the southwest. It sets in the west around 2:15 AM right now. 

Jupiter sets in the west in the wee hours of the morning.

If you are observing past 11 PM, Saturn is also visible! Find Saturn low in the southeast at 11. Saturn will be up until sunrise. 

Saturn rises in the east at about 10:30 PM. It is easier to see by 11.

Jupiter and Saturn will be visible all summer. If you start noticing them now, it can be fun to watch their slow progress though the backdrop of the constellations as they orbit the Sun. 

When you find the planets in the sky, they just look like bright points of light. Thanks to robotic explorers built and controlled by humans on Earth, we now have studied these planets up close, and can take amazing pictures of them! The Juno mission has been orbiting Jupiter since July 4, 2016, and has recently released some incredible images of the Red Giant. 

This image shows Jupiter’s south pole. The oval features are cyclones, up to 600 miles in diameter. Multiple images taken with the JunoCam instrument on three separate orbits were combined to show all areas in daylight, enhanced color, and stereographic projection.

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Betsy Asher Hall/Gervasio Robles

Before this mission, we did not know or expect that the gas giant's poles would be covered in tightly packed, swirling cyclones. These features are very different than Saturn's poles.

 

NASA / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Seán Doran © public domain

 

NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Björn Jónsson © cc nc sa

 

NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstädt / Alexis Tranchandon / Solaris © public domain

Swirling Storm

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Roman Tkachenko

Image credit: NASA/SWRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran

Image credit: NASA/SWRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran

Follow the Juno mission on social media to get these images delivered to your news feed as they are released! They are so good, they make my heart hurt a little. 

Remember, you can always learn the latest news from space and what's up in the night sky by visiting us at the Dome Planetarium, where we teach about space and science every day. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates! 

Beer, pizza, and the latest space news. Join us for Pub Night on June 9!