Astroblog: Daylight Jupiter at 45 minutes pre-sunset

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Daylight Jupiter at 45 minutes pre-sunset

I managed to see Jupiter 45 minutes before sunset today, 15 minutes before the supposed theoretical limit. True, I cheated. I was using the Moon as my guide as before, but I used binoculars to locate Jupiter near the Moon. Even then I found it hard, actually nigh impossible, to see Jupiter without binoculars. However, small clouds were coming across the sky, and when i could relate Jupiter to the edge of these clouds, I could immediately see Jupiter "pop" out, next to the cloud. Once I had Jupiter in my sight, it was fairly easy to see. This must say something intteresting about my visual sytem (maybe all human visual systems), that when Jupiter is alone in a wide swathe of blue I can't see it, but as soon as there is a reference object nearby, like a cloud, it becomes obvious.

Now, how much further into the day can i go. I may have to wait for next month, when Jupitr is much closer to the Moon.

Labels: Daylight, Jupiter, Moon, Observational Astronomy

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 10:45 pm

Comments:

I remember trying to spot Venus in an afternoon sky - I haven't tried this time around. You find it with great difficulty and lose it so easily. I remember the easiest was when the moon occulted Venus 3 years ago !

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