Jupiter, the giant planet.

Jupiter with a telescope.

Front page. Here we are... Introduction. Rings and Satellites. Jupiter's Galilean moons. Magnetosphere. Atmosphere dynamics. Exploration of Jupiter. Mythology. Pratical exercise. Bibliography.

Jupiter and the Galilean Moons with a normal telescope. Although Jupiter is the biggest planet of the Solar System, its visibility isn't better than the other planets which we can observe from earth with our own eyes. Because Jupiter distance from earth is so big its visibility is lower than, for instance, the visibility of Venus, which is much smaller but also much closer. On the other hand, we should have in consideration the relative positions of the planet, the earth and the Sun. In fact, when the planets are in the same direction than Sun we can't see them and when the planets are in the oppose side of the Sun we can see them all the night. Naturally, between those extremes there are periods of visibility depending from the position of the planet to the East or to West from the Sun.