Prime Planet Viewing at 大象传媒 Observatory鈥檚 Nov. 8 Public Event
November is an excellent month for stargazing, and several planets are on dazzling display, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Don鈥檛 miss the next public viewing at on Friday, Nov. 8, beginning at 7:00 p.m.听
Among the special sights in store will be the opportunity to spot a spotted spot! Since Earth is orbiting closer to Jupiter, it is more noticeable in the sky. Its height from the horizon also means that there will be less atmosphere in the way, and viewers can expect exquisite and detailed views of it. Jupiter鈥檚 Great Red Spot, an anticyclonic hurricane that is as big as Earth, will be visible. 听Jupiter鈥檚 moon, Io, will appear to transit the huge planet. Io鈥檚 shadow on Jupiter will appear to precede the moon and later, the shadow will cast upon the superstorm itself. 听So, for that hour, stargazers will have a chance to 鈥渟pot a spotted spot!鈥 听
Other target observations for the Nov. 8 session:听
- Almost first quarter Moon
- The Ring Nebula and the nearby bright star Vega and its stellar spectra
听 - Cygnus鈥檚 Veil Nebulae, the 鈥淏lue Snowball鈥 and the 鈥淪aturn Nebula鈥 planetary nebulae, as well as the globular 鈥淛ellyfish Cluster鈥 and the Sculptor Galaxy, which is 10 million light years away
- A near edge on ringed Saturn will be transited by its moon Enceladus, with its shadow appearing immediately below its rings, while the planet will occult its moons Tethys and Dione
- Pale blue Uranus will be seen near the Pleiades and possibility four of its moons
- Blue Neptune and a chance to see its doomed moon, Triton
The Observatory is located in the . This event is free to all members of the public and the 大象传媒 community. No advance registration is required. For directions, parking information, and event details, .