Full Thunder Moon and Jupiter still close Thursday night
12 comments Print Me Email to FriendTonight is Thursday, Jul 17 2008
We’ve been receiving many questions about the bright planet up on these July 2008 evenings. And tonight is a good time to see it for yourself, as the moon and dazzling planet Jupiter appear over your southeastern horizon at nightfall. They swing up into your southern sky around midnight, and hover above your southwestern horizon at dawn.
The moon turns full tonight at 2:59 a.m. Central Daylight Time. Since this is after midnight, that’s 2:59 a.m. Friday, July 18. For other North American times zones, the full moon falls at 3:59 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 1:59 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time and 12:59 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
If the moon orbited the Earth on the same plane that the Earth orbits the sun, every full moon would pass through the Earth’s shadow. We’d always see a total lunar eclipse every month at full moon. However, the plane of the moon’s orbit is tilted 5 degrees to the Earth’s orbital plane, so lunar eclipses are rather rare. For instance, tonight’s July full moon – called the Thunder Moon, Hay Moon or Buck Moon – will swing to the south of the Earth’s shadow. Hence, no eclipse tonight . . .
On the other hand, Jupiter’s 4 major moons often swing behind Jupiter. For some people, it’s great sport to watch the eclipses of Jupiter’s moons through binoculars or a telescope.
Tonight I was riding home on my bicycle and watching the bright star over the moon (but they are more alligned here in Japan). At first I thought it might be Mars, but it wasn’t pinkish, so it had to be Jupiter. No other planet shines that brightly.
John,
Yes, you are correct! You were looking at the planet Jupiter. It might be hard to believe, but there is a planet that’s brighter. It’s Venus, but this world sets very shortly after sunset in July and August of 2008, so you’re not likely to see it. The 4 brightest celestial bodies in their order of brightness: sun, moon, Venus & Jupiter.
Bruce
I thought it was Venus at first, but I’m glad I came here to check. I am in Shanghai, China and the view is much clearer than normal so it was hard to miss that bright moon and star.
Chad & John,
It’s great to hear reports from Asia! Yes, on the night of July 17-18, the moon & Jupiter are much closer together in Asia than they are in North America.
Bruce
The moon is a wonderful rust red tonight in Emmitsburg Maryland, USA. I am curious what is causing it to be that brilliant color?
~ Kit
i can see 4 moons through my telescope…. do you know which ones they are, especially the large one?
I am so glad that I linked in… For the past two nights I have asked what planet that was last night it was at what I would say 10 o’clock to night it is at 2 o’clock…. It is a real peaceful view in CT USA just 40 miles east of New York City.
Today is my birthday, It was incredible to me to see the moon so bright. I had know idea that this will be a once in alife time event. I am greatful for just being able to have seen it. Just goes to says always look to heavens for the small things.
I’m looking at the sky tonight, and I see Jupiter right near the moon. However, about 5am, I’m looking, and off to the NW of the Moon I’m seeing two other bright objects (I live near Charlotte, NC) and can’t identify them. Any ideas?
We also noticed the bright star near the moon. The sky is so clear. But I noticed the “Star” is on the left hand side of the moon instead of on the right as in your graph. We are from Sydney, Australia…It’s so amazing…
Reports of the moon & Jupiter from all over the world! We love to hear from you!
Many questions & comments. I’ll address them below.
Kit,
Yes, the moon definitely was red. I saw it myself in upstate NY. When the moon is close to the horizon, there is a lot more atmosphere between you and the moon than when the moon is high overhead. The thickness of the atmosphere refracts (or bends) white light into the colors of the rainbow. The red and orange are bent the least, so these colors travel most readily through the atmosphere to meet your eye. The shorter wavelength colors are bent more, so they are filtered out by the thick atmosphere. If water vapor and dust prevail at higher than normal rates, the effect is even more pronounced.
Ibrahim,
Those four moons are Callisto, Io, Ganymede & Europa. The brightest was probably Ganymede.
Eric,
We’re glad that you linked in, too!
James,
Happy birthday! By the way, the moon swings by Jupiter once every month. Look for the moon & Jupiter to pair up again on the nights of Aug. 12 & 13 – that’s also the time of the Perseid meteor shower.
Scott,
I’m guessing you were looking at the bottom stars of the Summer Triangle – Altair & Vega. I’m enclosing June 10 show on the Summer Triangle, though these three stars appear higher in the east on July evenings. If you draw a line from Deneb through Altair and go about twice that distance, you’ll land on Jupiter!
Xura from Australia,
From your perspective, our North American sky charts might look liked they’re tipped over sideways. Without using a chronometer (sea-worthy clock), a navigator named Nathaniel Bowditch figured longitude at sea by noting the moon’s position relative to the planets and stars.
Bruce
I live in Wichita, Kansas, USA, and I was able to see Jupiter in the night sky on July 17. It was, for me, an unbelievable sight.