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General remarks and particulars
Topic Started: Wednesday 10-02-2010, 02:40 (278 Views)
[Publisher] San
History of astronomy
General remarks and particulars
 


Jupiter is the largest of the eight great planets that planets that revolve around the Sun, from which it comes fifth in order. Its mass is nearly two and a half times that of all the other planets added together, its nearest rival, Saturn, though inferior by less than twenty per cent in linear dimensions, having not quite three-tengths of mass of Jupiter. It has often, therefore, been not inappropriately referred to as the Giant Planet.
The distance of Jupiter from the Sun is rather more than five times that of the Earth and it completes one revolution in just under twelve years. Thus it will be seen that the Earth must pass almost directly between the planes of their respective orbits is only a little more than one degree. At such times the planet will be most favourably placed for observation; for not only will its distance from the Earth be near a minimum but it will be on the meridian at midnight and above the horizon all night long.
Jupiter can be profitably for about ten of the thirteen months that elapse between its successive conjunctions with the Sun. These ten-monthly spells are known as apparitions and at the Earth´s equator all apparitions are almost equally favourable; in high latitudes, however, the best observing conditions are provided when opposition occurs at mid-winter.
In the British isles, for example, at the time of a December opposition the planet will be above the horizon for about sixteen hours each night, during most of which it will be situated
at a considerable altitude, the last consideration being essential if first-class observations are to be made. If, on the other hand, opposition occurs in June, the planet will never attain an altitude of more than about sixteen degrees and the time available for observation, which cannot under the circumtances be of the highest quality, will be confined to an hour or two on either side of meridian passage.

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