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Christmas Sky Show -- presented by Science@NASA
Just when you thought Christmas was over....
At the end of the day on Dec. 25th,
a pair of holiday lights will pop out of the deepening twilight.
Jupiter and the Moon are having a Christmas conjunction.
It's a global apparition,
visible from all time zones and both sides of the equator.
Everyone can see the show,
even city dwellers who often miss astronomical events
because of light pollution.
Separated by less than 2 degrees,
the bright pair will beam right through city lights.
For anyone who gets a telescope for Christmas,
the timing is perfect.
Jupiter and the Moon
are among the most satisfying targets for backyard optics.
A quick sweep of the telescope from Jupiter to the Moon and back again
will reveal Jupiter's storms and cloud belts,
the Moon's mountains and impact craters,
and of course the four Galilean satellites
circling the giant planet like a miniature solar system.
Jupiter's trademark Great Red Spot
will also be on display--
and it is worth a look.
Astronomers recently announced that the enormous swirling storm,
twice as wide as the planet Earth,
is 'spinning up.'
Actually, explains planetary scientist Glenn Orton
of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
'the Red Spot is shrinking.'
He likens it to 'the iconic picture of a figure skater
pulling her arms in to spin faster.
As the size contracts, the spin rate increases.'
John Rogers, head of the British Astronomical Association's Jupiter Section,
noticed the phenomenon in recent pictures of Jupiter
snapped by amateur astronomers.
He was able to track a black cloud
as it swirled three times around the Red Spot's central vortex.
The circulating streak completed the circuit in only 4.0 days,
shorter than the 4.5 days Rogers measured in 2006
using the same method.
Looking back in time,
'the trend of decreasing rotation period has been consistent
at least since Voyager visited Jupiter in 1979,' says Rogers.
As the spot shrinks,
it also changes shape.
Decades ago the Red Spot looked like a sausage -
now it's more circular.
What happens next is hard to say.
'Perhaps the Red Spot will continue to shrink and eventually disappear,'
speculates Rogers.
'Or perhaps it will be rejuvenated if some new storm arises to reinforce it.'
One thing is certain,
Christmas night is a good time to look.
The Red Spot will be transiting Jupiter's middle for observers across North America
and will be perfectly positioned for telescopic observations.
But you don't need a telescope to enjoy the show.
Step outside at sunset on Dec. 25th and look east.
After all, Christmas isn't really over until you've seen the holiday lights.
For more news about bright lights in the night sky,
visit science.nasa.gov