I was interested in the challenge of spotting Jupiter and Uranus in the same field of view on April 20th. This would have made an exciting drawing as I would have placed two planets and four moons in my circle. However, Uranus wasn’t interested in playing my game. The Western sky at 22:00 local time is incredibly bright. This was a difficult task with a slim chance of success. However, I made an effort on April 21st, which bore fruit differently.
Sunday, April 21st 2024 – 22:02 local time. ( 21:02 UT) I was scanning the sky for the planet Uranus, but it was hiding. So, I checked in with Jupiter. To my surprise, the Galilean moons were visible in the bright sky. 15X70 binoculars.
Drawing Jupiter in the Landscape
As my prepared circles are all black with a white circumference, I decided to do something different. Hence, a blue circle shows Jupiter and the Galilean moons over the landscape. Jupiter and its moons, from the top: Ganymede, Europa, Callisto, and Io. Callisto was very close visually to the gas giant that night. I just drew the landscape in front of me. Then, I drew a blue circle in which to place my binocular view.
The drawing I created includes the celestial bodies and elements of the local landscape in Killadoon, Co Mayo, Ireland. The mound of boulders on the hill, the fencing, and the sheep are all part of the scenery where I made the observation. For locals, Jupiter was positioned just above Inishturk in the Atlantic, with Clare Island a few kilometres to the right. The hill, dotted with ewes and their lambs, masked the view of Inishturk. This inclusion of local elements in the drawing provides a unique perspective and a deeper connection to the observation.
A sensible observation
My drawing serves a dual purpose-to guide beginners in navigating the night sky and to empower locals to identify Jupiter for themselves. By sharing my observations, I hope to spark an interest in astronomy among all who view it. Including the local landscape in drawings might make some observations more accessible. Several people mentioned to me that the drawing made sense to them. It therefore clarified the location of Jupiter in their area. It was accessible to the eye and a reality over the ocean.
To Europa and beyond
Whenever I gaze at Jupiter’s moons, I’m reminded of the great Galileo with his homemade telescope. He was the first to observe these moons, a discovery that revolutionized our understanding of the solar system. Galileo’s observations over several nights made him realize that these moons orbited Jupiter, a finding that challenged the prevailing belief that all celestial bodies revolved around the Earth.
Imagine what Galileo would say to the fact that we now know that Jupiter has 95 moons in total to date. Or to the details we now have gleaned from the space explorations of his moons. The name of the next spacecraft to head towards the gas giant is very inspiring. The Europa Clipper is due for launch in October 2024. See the link below.
In addition I cannot read the word Clipper without evoking visions of ships under sail exploring the oceans in days gone by. All of this was supported by the wind and, in my imagination, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. These days, the sails are solid solar panels supported by the sun. Bach’s music would also match perfectly with the task of getting the Europa Clipper to its destination. This creative naming for spacecraft adds a touch of wonder and excitement to the journey.
