Moon and Jupiter pair up early November 2008
Image Credit: Piconb
November 3, 2008.
The slim waxing crescent moon and blazing planet Jupiter can be found the west tonight, near the sunset point shortly after the sun goes down.
At mid-northern latitudes – like those in the U.S. and Europe – the moon and Jupiter will stay out till mid-evening tonight. And at latitudes south of the equator, the moon and Jupiter will stay out even later. You’ll be able to pick out Jupiter from almost everywhere worldwide, because this world will appear as an exceptionally brilliant starlike object near the moon.
In fact, Jupiter ranks as the second-brightest point of light in all the heavens. Only Venus shines more brightly as seen from Earth. It’s up after sunset, too, but you’re not likely to mistake Venus for Jupiter this evening. Jupiter shines higher in the sky and closer to the moon. Throughout November, Venus will be climbing upward toward Jupiter, to catch up with it by the month’s end.
Depending on where you live on Earth’s globe, Venus will be in conjunction with Jupiter on November 30 or December 1. It’s the same moment for all of us but our clocks and calendars say different times. So look for Venus and Jupiter this month. Jupiter is the one near the moon tonight after sunset. Venus lurks near the horizon. Venus will appear very close to Jupiter by late November. I’m Joel Block.
You can also think of these two planets moving in their orbits around the sun. The closer a planet is to the sun, the faster it moves in orbit. Venus, the second planet outward from the sun, is the second-fastest planet to orbit the sun at 36 kilometers per second (about 21 miles per second). Jupiter, the fifth planet outward, is the fifth-fastest at 13 kilometers per second (about 8 miles per second).
