Winter Stargazing 2023 A Winter Sky Spectacular: Unveiling the Celestial Wonders this winter! 🌌❄️

This winter, prepare to be amazed as the heavens put on a dazzling show, offering a plethora of celestial events for stargazing enthusiasts! From meteor showers to lunar spectacles, here's a guide to what's in store for our cosmic theater this month:

Winter Stargazing 2023:

Aurora Borealis 🌠

Keep your eyes peeled for the mesmerizing northern lights! There's heightened aurora activity, making it possible to witness this magnificent spectacle as far south as South Dakota. While there's a chance for auroras to be visible in Colorado, it's uncertain until a few hours before the event. Check predictions on Space Weather Live for the "kp" value, indicating potential sightings. Remember to consider cloud cover using the National Weather Service's map for the best viewing experience.

Geminid Meteor Shower 💫

Get ready for a celestial fireworks display! The Geminid meteor shower, peaking on December 13th, 14th, and 15th promises a grand show, with an anticipated 120 meteors per hour. Lie back, look up, and relish this cosmic spectacle, possibly coinciding with the solar eclipse.

Jupiter and Saturn 🪐✨

Jupiter and Saturn take center stage as they both appear in the sky this December. Visible in the southwestern sky post-sunset, these gas giants offer a breathtaking sight. With a good pair of binoculars or telescope, witness Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons.

Upcoming Cosmic Calendar Events 📅

• November 27 - Full Moon, known historically as the Beaver Moon.

• December 4 - Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation, a prime opportunity for spotting Mercury in the evening sky.

• December 12 - New Moon, perfect for observing faint celestial objects.

• December 21 - December Solstice, heralding the first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

• December 27 - Full Moon, called the Cold Moon due to wintry associations.

For more information and detailed stargazing tips to maximize your celestial experience, and to stargaze with friends and family across the planet visit our post here.

Join us for an incredible journey under the skies, and don't forget to book your spot for our Mile High Astronomy Tour in Denver on November 27th! Click here for more details.

Ready your telescopes and gather your family for a December to remember, stargazing style!

Happy stargazing! 🌠🔭

Jupiter at Opposition: A Brilliant Celestial Display

If you've been taking a moment to look up during the late evening hours recently, you might have noticed a brilliant, steady light over the southern horizon shortly after sunset. But wait, that's no ordinary star – it's the magnificent planet Jupiter!

Jupiter: A Behemoth in Our Solar System

Jupiter is a true titan, the largest planet in our solar system. To put its size into perspective, it boasts a diameter a staggering 11.6 times greater than Earth's, measuring a colossal 86,881 miles. To visualize this, picture over a thousand Earths fitting comfortably inside Jupiter's gargantuan frame.

Its immense mass makes Jupiter something of a miniature solar system unto itself, thanks to its formidable gravitational pull that captures numerous objects, making them Jupiter's moons. As of publishing this post in September 2023, Jupiter was known to have 92 moons, with more awaiting official names. Keep in mind that this count continues to evolve, as astronomers frequently discover new moons orbiting Jupiter. Tracking these newfound moons can be a bit like counting stars, ensuring each one is unique.

But Jupiter's moon family isn't static – it's a dynamic system where new moons form and old ones may meet their demise. Among these objects orbiting Jupiter, most share a common direction, while others dare to orbit against the flow. Similar to driving the wrong way in a roundabout, this can lead to potential celestial collisions.

Gazing at Jupiter's Moons with Binoculars

Even with just a decent pair of binoculars, you can peer into the sky and spot four of Jupiter's most prominent moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. These four celestial companions, collectively known as the Galilean Moons, were first observed by Galileo Galilei using his modest telescope. While they're relatively easy to spot with basic equipment, distinguishing one from the other requires multiple observations over time (or a quick search on an app or WolfRamAlpha). These moons engage in a celestial dance around Jupiter, a dance we can only perceive from Earth's edge-on perspective. To determine their true distances from Jupiter, you must observe these moons as they switch from moving away to approaching the planet.

Each of the Galilean Moons has its own unique allure. For instance, Io, the closest to Jupiter, boasts the title of the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Europa is remarkably smooth and is believed to harbor liquid water beneath its icy surface, sparking curiosity about potential extraterrestrial life. Ganymede, larger than Mercury, is a moon of impressive size. On the other hand, Callisto, Jupiter's most distant moon, bears the scars of countless cosmic collisions, making it one of the most cratered bodies in our solar system.

Jupiter's Atmosphere and the Great Red Spot

With a good pair of binoculars or a decent telescope, you can explore Jupiter's mesmerizing atmosphere. You'll notice red stripes contrasting with white stripes – a result of various compounds reacting to sunlight. If you're fortunate enough to have a high-quality instrument (or be on an AstroTour), you might even glimpse Jupiter's iconic Great Red Spot. This colossal storm, more than twice the size of Earth, has been a subject of fascination for astronomers for centuries. Observing Jupiter over a long winter night, you can witness the Great Red Spot completing a lap around the planet, showcasing Jupiter's roughly 10-hour rotation.

Come get a closer look at Jupiter seeing it's stripes (this year better than ever with the haze), moons, red spot and more! On an astronomy tour! Book now for an out of this world experience!

Saturn's Splendor: The Ringed Beauty in 2023

Saturn will be at its dazzling best this year, coming into 'opposition' (the closest it'll be to Earth) on August 26-27, 2023. While the exact date provides a pinnacle for observation, the viewing conditions for Saturn will be promising from now until late August for late-night observations. As we progress into the months after August, early night views of Saturn will equally be awe-inspiring. Look towards the southeast sky around sunset, and Saturn will grace your sight.

Some facts that have always made Saturn the biggest *star (..or rather, a planet) in our night sky:

• Saturn, the behemoth of a planet, stands as the second-largest in our Solar System, with only Jupiter overshadowing its enormity.

• This gas giant's majestic rings aren't solid. They’re an enchanting mix of ice fragments, dust, and rock.

• The rings may be expansive, nearly spanning the distance between Earth and the Moon, but they are astonishingly thin, measuring less than a kilometer in thickness.

• Even a small telescope is sufficient to get a glimpse of Saturn's rings - the only planetary rings easily visible from our planet.

• Winds on Saturn are anything but mild. Equatorial gusts can reach speeds of up to 1,800 kilometers per hour. Compare that to Earth's fastest winds, which barely touch 400 kilometers per hour.

• Time seems to stretch on Saturn. While a Saturnian day is brisk at 10 hours, a year there equates to 29.5 Earth years.

• Owing to its distance from the Sun, Saturn gets a lot less sunlight than Earth, making it about 100 times colder.

• The day we all eagerly await, Saturday, owes its name to this distant planet.

Saturn, when viewed through a telescope or even binoculars, evokes wonder. It might initially appear like an oval or even remind some of the Batman symbol. However, once your eyes adjust, the clarity of Saturn's rings emerges, leaving viewers with an inevitable "oh wow!" moment.

Saturn in a basic telescope

Just as Earth experiences the dance of seasons through solstices and equinoxes, so does Saturn. A complete orbit around the Sun for Saturn is a lengthy 30 Earth years. Presently, Saturn is gearing towards its equinox, which means we'll witness its rings open more expansively each year until around 2028, post which they'll start to close gradually.

how Saturn's rings open and close

The enigma of Saturn's rings has perplexed many, including the illustrious Galileo. When he first observed these rings, they appeared as moons. But subsequent observations, especially during Saturn’s equinox when the rings appeared edge-on, led to a great deal of confusion. Familiar with the Greek myth of Κρόνος (Krónos) - the child-eating Titan - Galileo humorously surmised that like the myth, Saturn seemed to have 'eaten' its children (the rings that disappeared).

Beyond the rings, if your gaze drifts just a bit, you might catch a glimpse of Titan. Larger than even the planet Mercury, Titan is the second-largest moon in the solar system, with only Jupiter's Ganymede out-sizing it. Titan intrigues scientists, primarily due to its lakes and clouds of methane, which behave similarly to how water does on Earth. Visions of submarines exploring Titan's methane lakes might sound like science fiction today, but future missions might just turn that into a reality.

For those keen on a more intimate experience of Saturn and the myriad wonders of our universe, join us on one of our upcoming astronomy programs. And while you're at it, don't forget to grab one of our new bumper stickers!

Saturn's allure is timeless, and 2023 is yet another year to be captivated by its celestial beauty. So, whether you're an amateur stargazer or a seasoned astronomer, clear your calendars for late August, and let's together marvel at the splendor of Saturn!

See Saturn tonight or any night the rest of this year in a giant telescope on our program: AstroTours.org/book