A thin crescent moon and the bright planet Jupiter appear close together on Thursday night. The two are low in the southwestern sky after sunset and will shine together for a few hours before setting. Both are in proximity to the zodiacal constellation Scorpius.
Jupiter is the largest and brightest celestial object in the late night sky. Only the moon is brighter. Seeing the moon and Jupiter together is hard to ignore and a highlight of the late night sky. Those caught unaware will be surprised to see the two so close together.
Their appearance so close together is only apparent. The moon is about a quarter million miles away, while Jupiter is considerably farther. Jupiter is 502 million miles away and getting farther.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Sept. 27 | 6:33 | 6:30 |
| Sat., Sept. 28 | 6:34 | 6:29 |
| Sun., Sept. 29 | 6:35 | 6:27 |
| Mon., Sept. 30 | 6:36 | 6:25 |
| Tues., Oct. 1 | 6:37 | 6:24 |
| Wed., Oct. 2 | 6:39 | 6:22 |
| Thurs., Oct. 3 | 6:40 | 6:20 |
| Fri., Oct. 4 | 6:41 | 6:18 |
| Day | Max (Fº) | Min (Fº) | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 20 | 67 | 45 | 0.00 |
| Sept. 21 | 74 | 55 | 0.00 |
| Sept. 22 | 79 | 57 | 0.00 |
| Sept. 23 | 75 | 65 | 0.00 |
| Sept. 24 | 76 | 63 | 0.43 |
| Sept. 25 | 77 | 56 | 0.00 |
| Sept. 26 | 71 | 56 | 0.00 |
This article appears in September 27, 2019.