See Jupiter + Mercury Align Over Idaho This Weekend
Keep those eyes to the sky over the next few nights.
How incredibly is our solar system? Do you ever just stand outside at night, staring into the sky, and think about how small we really are? There is so much out there that is left to be explored. I don't know if I'll ever be able to see it all first hand, up close, but I sure do love to get lost in it on a clear night. My mom was also a stargazer and after losing her earlier this year, I feel this is an easy way to feel connected to her.
So you can bet I'll be looking up this weekend.
We are supposed to see a conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter this weekend. We saw a similar conjunction during the holiday season that was truly magical. The Christmas star was the perfect alignment of Jupiter and Saturn. It was actually the closest these two had been to each other in hundreds of years.
This weekend we will see Jupiter and Mercury do a fist bump.
It looks like our best view will be toward the east, just before dawn. The two planets will be separated by just 0.3 degrees. Most of the things I've seen online suggest that you grab a pair of binoculars for an even better view.
If you're looking forward to the next meteor shower, we're gonna have to wait a bit longer. One report says the Lyrids will arrive in April with the peak of their performance coming on April 22. That's when we will have out best look in the Northern Hemisphere.