Jupiter appears as a bright star above the Moon on the 2nd of October. Jupiter will rise at 9.30pm, with the Moon hot on it’s heels just 10 minutes later. Those with telescopes might like to observe Jupiter closely and look for the shadow of Jupiter’s moon Io, as it passes across the cloud tops of Jupiter.
Use the Quasar Publishing image above as a guide. To find out more about what to see in the night sky, grab a copy of their latest Astronomy Australia almanac at Quasar Publishing.
When to look: After 9.30pm, 2nd October
Which direction to look: Low to the east.
For telescopes
Now is the best time to view Jupiter and Saturn through a telescope because they are both in the night sky.
What’s the best time of night to use your telescope? As Earth spins on its axis, it appears that all objects in the night sky rise in the east and set in the west. Just like our Sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so does the Moon, planets, stars and galaxies.
The best time to view objects through a telescope is when the object you want to look at is high in the night sky. When you’re looking directly upward, you’re looking through the least amount of Earth’s atmosphere. You’ll find you get a much better view. If you look at the object when it’s low on the horizon, you’re looking through a thicker slice of the atmosphere and the object won’t appear as crisp through the eyepiece. Try it out for yourself to see the difference.