If you want to see the largest planet in the solar system disappear and then reappear less than an hour later, grab your binoculars, set them next to your alarm clock and wake up early on Wednesday morning.
Between 5 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., an “occultation” of the planet Jupiter by the moon will take place, meaning the path of the moon will cross in front of Jupiter. At first, Jupiter will appear to the left of the moon. After the occultation, Jupiter will appear to the right.
It could be difficult to see, because it will happen low in the eastern sky near sunrise, and also because the moon will be just a thin crescent. That’s why you may need the binoculars to find the moon and to locate Jupiter, because the planet will appear as a bright object near it.
Jupiter is usually the second-brightest planet in the sky. Only Venus is brighter, and it won’t be visible Wednesday morning because it’s only visible now in the evening sky, so you can look for the brightest star-like object near the moon to identify Jupiter.
“At about 5 a.m., look for the crescent moon, very low in the eastern sky, to the north of (due) east,” said Jeff Hunt, a retired planetarium director whose website — whenthecurveslineup.com — tracks interesting celestial events for amateur sky-gazers. “Bright Jupiter is immediately to the left of the crescent. As sunrise approaches, Jupiter and the moon appear higher in the sky, from Earth’s rotation, but the moon moves close to Jupiter from (the moon’s) slow eastward revolution. The planet suddenly disappears behind the edge of the moon without dimming, (because) the moon lacks an atmosphere.”
Sunrise will occur at 5:43 a.m.
“The lunar crescent begins occulting the planet at this time,” Hunt said. “The moon slowly moves in front of Jupiter and the bright planet reappears at 6:24 a.m.”
