In the early morning hours of August 14, a rare heavenly phenomenon can be seen in the sky: Mars and Jupiter will appear in the form of a bright double star. This spectacle will be available to residents of America, Europe and Africa, and in Australia and Asia it can be observed the next day, August 15.
The planets of the solar system rotate around the Sun in one plane, which is seen from the Earth as an imaginary line in the sky, called the ecliptic. At certain moments, the planets seem close to each other, creating the effect of their joint movement. This phenomenon is called a compound, and on August 14, Mars and Jupiter will be located only a third of a degree from each other, which is less than the visible size of the full moon.
Special equipment is not required for observation. It is enough to go outside until dawn, from 3 to 4 in the morning, and find a place with an open horizon in the east. Jupiter will be the brightest “star” in the sky, located about 30 degrees above the horizon, and red Mars will be visible next to it.
Although these two planets seem close, they are actually a great distance from each other. Jupiter will be at a distance of 800 million kilometers from the ground, while Mars is only 230 million kilometers. Despite this, Jupiter will seem much brighter due to its size and high reflective ability.
Those who have binoculars will be able to see the four largest satellites of Jupiter – Io, Europe, Callisto, and Ganymede – lined up on both sides of the planet. A small telescope will open wide stripes on the surface of Jupiter, which are traces of its powerful atmospheric flows.
In addition, on August 12, the peak of the annual Perseid meteor flow is expected, which will last several days and will be observed on the night of August 14. This stream is a fragment of the 109p/Swift-Tuttle comet, which, burning in the atmosphere, creates impressive light outbreaks. The best time to observe Perseid is after midnight.
Thus, the morning of August 14 promises to be