On January 19, moon begins closing in on Jupiter

January 19, 2013
Courtesy U.S. Naval Observatory
The waxing gibbous moon shines in front of the constellation Aries the Ram on the evening of January 19, 2013, as it’s edging eastward toward the dazzling planet Jupiter. No matter where you are on Earth at nightfall and early evening, look for the moon after the sun goes down. As seen from mid-northern latitudes, the three stars outlining the head of the Ram will be shining to the moon’s right or upper right. These Aries stars are Hamal, Sheratan, and Mesartim. Meanwhile, the very bright planet Jupiter will be nearby.

Jupiter shines in front of the constellation Taurus the Bull, not far from the Bull’s brightest star Aldebaran. The moon will pair up with Jupiter on the night of January 21, in what will be the closest moon-Jupiter conjunction until the year 2026. Watch over the coming evenings as the moon draws closer to this bright planet.

[link to earthsky.org]