Watching Jupiter’s moons through a telescope is fascinating! You can see their movement over an hour or so. Sometimes you’ll see a transit or an occultation of Jupiter’s moons. This happens regularly.
A transit is when one astronomical body passes in front of another. Jupiter’s moons transit (or go in front of) Jupiter and a shadow is cast on the surface of the planet.
An occultation is the opposite of a transit. It’s when one astronomical object disappears behind another. Jupiter’s moons are often occulted by Jupiter.
On 5th November, there’s a great opportunity to see a transit and the shadow that the moon, Io, will cast on Jupiter’s surface. You will need a medium to large telescope to see this event.
Use the above image as a guide. Astronomical images provided by SkySafari, a Simulation Curriculum Company, All rights reserved www.simulationcurriculum.com.
When and where to look:
From 10:15pm, 5th of November. The transit begins when Jupiter is below the horizon for stargazers in Western Australia. It’s a good idea to wait until Jupiter is higher above the horizon, so you get a clearer image through a telescope. Jupiter is in the north east.