Fans of Jupiter, This Is Your Night

Planet will be at its brightest in the night sky
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 8, 2016 1:23 PM CST
Fans of Jupiter, This Is Your Night
Jupiter should be easy to spot over the next several days.   (AP Photo/NASA)

People in other parts of the world are being treated to a solar eclipse this week, but Americans get a consolation prize with a terrific view of Jupiter in the night sky. Earth is passing between the sun and Jupiter, making the planet as bright as it will be for the entire year, reports Smithsonian. In fact, only the moon and the International Space Station will be brighter, notes Space.com. You'll find Jupiter in the constellation Leo, and the website has a diagram and more specifics of where to look.

The best part is you can catch a glimpse of Jupiter at pretty much any time, adds a post at EarthSky.org: "You can see it in the east at nightfall and early evening [starting Tuesday]. Around midnight, when the sun is below your feet, Jupiter appears high overhead. At dawn tomorrow, you’ll see Jupiter low in your western sky." The planet will be easily visible for several days. As for that solar eclipse, if you don't happen to live in Indonesia, CNN notes that you can watch it via a NASA livestream here, beginning at 8pm Eastern Tuesday. (More Jupiter stories.)

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