The Celestial Dance: The Moon and Jupiter in Tight Conjunction
<p>A conjunction occurred when two or more astronomical objects appeared close together in the sky from our vantage point here on Earth. The Moon frequently passed planets in the sky as both completed their respective orbits. But each conjunction was unique in terms of how close the objects appeared. On the evening of February 14, 2024, the angular separation between the Moon and Jupiter reached a minimum of only 2.5 degrees. To put that in perspective, the diameter of the full Moon spanned only about 0.5 degrees!</p>
<p>What accounted for this nearly perfect cosmic lineup? It came down to the specific orbits and positions of the Moon and Jupiter on that date. The Moon constantly orbited Earth in a relatively close path, approximately 238,855 miles away. Distant Jupiter along its long 12-year orbit happened to be in a position aligning with the Moon’s position in its cycle. As the Moon’s phase and position changed night to night, this lineup only lasted for a short time before the angular separation started increasing again.</p>
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