Skip to content
Surprising Science —

Moon Meets Jupiter

Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Back on July 15, 2012, stargazers across planet Earth received a special treat in the predawn sky.  Many had the opportunity to see an extra-bright Jupiter cozied up to a slender Moon. Europeans especially had the chance to see quite a show.

NASA explains:

Europeans also had the opportunity to watch the ruling gas giant pass behind the lunar disk, occulted by the Moon as it slid through the night. Clouds threaten in this telescopic view from Montecassiano, Italy, but the frame still captures Jupiter after it emerged from the occultation along with all four of its large Galilean moons. The sunlit crescent is overexposed with the Moon’s night side faintly illuminated by Earthshine. Lined up left to right beyond the dark lunar limb are Callisto, Ganymede, Jupiter, Io, and Europa. In fact, Callisto, Ganymede, and Io are larger than Earth’s Moon, while Europa is only slightly smaller.

Image credit: NASA

Sign up for Big Think on Substack
The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.
Related
Up Next
Surprising Science
The Tulip in the Swan
A “swan” and “tulip” combine to form this beautiful image. The Tulip Nebula is in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. NASA explains: Framing a bright emission region this telescopic view […]