Noin the profound silence of the hours before dawn tomorrow, while Italy still sleeps, heaven will allow itself a gesture of intimacy: a kiss. And not just any kiss, but one of those that are given only once in a while, when the eye sockets touch and the times align. Protagonists of a conjunction that promises poetry, they will be the Moon and Jupiter. A light gesture, a cosmic kiss that lasts a few hours and which, like everything beautiful, requires attention to be grasped.
A dance between stars and giants
The event is expected for tonight: the Moon, in its Last Quarter phase, will rise around 11.40pm, followed by Jupiter about a quarter of an hour later. They will appear between the East and the North-East, side by side, accompanied by the twin lights of Castor and Pollux, the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini. They won’t touch each other, of course. But for those watching from Earth, they will appear to dance together. Their approach will be visible to the naked eye, without the need for instruments, as long as the sky is clear and away from light pollution.
The best time to observe
The highlight of the event will start from the late evening of October 13thbut will reach its maximum suggestiveness in the central hours of the night, between 2.30 and 4.00 in the morning of October 14th. Jupiter, with its stable and intense light, will be one of the last stars to disappear when the day arrives. The Moon, however, will remain visible until early afternoon, waning just before 3.30pm. Those in the South will be able to start observing as early as 11.20pm, however, everywhere the scenario will be the same: a silent waltz between two protagonists of the sky, framed by stars and silence.
The Moon, in its waning phase, and Jupiter, bright and stable, will be very close in the sky. A perspective effect that gives the illusion of a close encounter between two very distant celestial bodies (Photo: UAI Unione Astrofili)
How and where to observe the Moon Jupiter kiss
To fully enjoy the conjunction between the Moon and Jupiter, it is essential to choose the right time and place. The phenomenon will be visible in Italy, the sky will be favorable in many areasespecially where light pollution is reduced: countryside, hills, beaches far from urban centres. It is advisable to orient yourself towards the East-Northeast, where the two stars will rise almost simultaneously. No telescopes are needed: the conjunction will be clearly visible to the naked eyebut binoculars can help you better grasp the difference in brightness between the Moon, in its waning phase, and Jupiter, which shines with stable white light. The weather predicts clear skies over much of central and southern Italywith some clouds in the North: consulting local forecasts can make the difference between a successful observation and a failure.
And after the kiss?
October hasn’t finished surprising us yet. On the 19th it will be the Moon’s turn with Venus and on the 21st it will be Mars and Mercury’s turnaccompanied by the passage of comet Lemmon, visible even to the naked eye under really dark skies. But, now, better to think about tonight and the story the sky will tell: a love story millions of kilometers long.