Jupiter in this month's sky
   Jupiter is prominent in the sky all night in September, having just past opposition with the Sun. Jupiter is now in the constellation of Pisces; a rather dim set of stars that only serves to highlight the fourth brightest object in the sky.

    Here are some tips for observing Jupiter through a telescope. Through a telescope at even low power, you can see the alternating bright and dark regions of the clouds of Jupiter.

    This year marked the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of the four big moons of Jupiter by Galileo. If you do have a small telescope or pair of binoculars available, it is possible to see the four Galilean moons of Jupiter. You must be patient, and the instrument must be firmly mounted. Here's a program which you can download so that you might be able to identify each of the satellites as they orbit Jupiter.

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Updated September 3, 2010