Jupiter in Opposition

Well, I finally got a chance to spot a Celestial body last night. Note, it wasn't the best time of year to do it, but it was close. Jupiter was (and still is) in opposition during the month of April. This means that Jupiter was facing directly into the sun from an Earth vantage point, and thus the second brightest object in the night sky (the moon being the brightest).

Cynthia lent me her scope, a hand held 30x telescope. And with a little coaching, I was able to pick out the "star" by lining up the telescope with Jupiter, then looking through the scope, and slightly shifting the scope up to meet Jupiter.

The image I saw was fairly hazy, and since I didn't have a tripod, it was difficult to keep the image in view. But it was still fun.

In addition, I got to show the kids the moon through the telescope. Both Theo and Matilda were so excited, they were going to go out into the cold night with no sock, shoes, or jackets. Once I fulfilled my fatherly roll by making sure they had these essentials, we ventured out into the night and did our stargazing.

If you ever have a chance to do this with your kids, then do it.

The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York City was helpful in confirming what I saw.

The APRIL NIGHT SKY >>