Latest news with #CelestronNexStar4SE
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
See Mercury at greatest elongation, its farthest from the sun in the evening sky this week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mercury reaches its point of greatest eastern elongation on Friday (July 4), presenting an excellent opportunity to spot the rocky planet during its evening apparition in the post-sunset sky. Astronomers describe Mercury as an "inferior planet", because its orbital path around the sun is much closer than that of Earth. As a result, Mercury never strays far from the sun in our sky and always appears low on the horizon compared to planets like Jupiter and Mars, whose distant orbits allow them to ride high on the line of the ecliptic (the plane of the major planets' path around the sun). The point at which Mercury appears most distant from the sun in Earth's sky, known as its point of greatest elongation, will occur at 00:37 a.m. EDT (0437 GMT) on July 4, according to stargazing website Viewers in the U.S. will have a golden opportunity to spot Mercury shining low above the western horizon immediately after sunset over the coming days. The rocky world will appear as a bright "evening star" approximately 15 degrees above the western horizon in the constellation Cancer at sunset for viewers in New York on July 4. For context, 10 degrees is roughly the same as the span of your clenched fist when held at arms length against the night sky. Mercury's low altitude could make it a challenging target for those in built-up areas, so we would advise scoping out a spot with a clear horizon ahead of time if you want to catch a glimpse of the fleet-footed planet before it sets less than an hour and a half after sundown. The "Great Bear" of the constellation Ursa Major will become visible around the time Mercury slips out of view, with the stars of Leo and the red light of Mars beating a path toward the western horizon as the night wears on. TOP TELESCOPE PICK Want to see Mercury, Mars, and Regulus all in the night sky? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Stargazers hoping to explore the wonders of the cosmos for themselves should check out our roundup of the best telescopes and binoculars available in 2025. If you're new to the hobby you should also check out our roundup of the top paid and free smartphone astronomy apps, many of which use augmented reality tech to help you find your way around the night sky. Editor's Note: If you snap a picture of Mercury and want to share it with readers, then please send it alongside your comments, name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The brightest planets in July's night sky: How to see them (and when)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. July 2025 might be considered a "slack month" so far as planet viewing is concerned. In the evening sky, Mercury is available during the evening — though with some difficulty — low in the west-northwest sky — but it will have somewhat formidable competition as viewed against the bright background of evening twilight. The best chance of catching a glimpse of it will come during the first 10 days of the month; binoculars will be beneficial in finding it. Scan low near to the horizon beginning about 45 minutes after sunset. Meanwhile, Mars continues to fade as it moves away from Earth. In terms of brightness, it now only ranks with stars of second magnitude and even in moderately-large telescopes it appears as nothing more than a tiny disk (or dot) with a yellow-orange tinge. Saturn starts the month rising after midnight, but by late July it will be rising during the late evening hours. The famous ring system has opened slightly from its edge-on appearance last spring; however, the rings are still tilted less than 4 degrees toward us. Beggars can't be choosers though, for this will be our best view of the rings in 2025, before they begin to close again during the fall and early winter. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the visible planets in the night sky? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Venus continues to dazzle in the predawn morning sky, shining amidst the stars of Taurus the Bull. Nearby will be the Bull's brightest star, orange Aldebaran, fairly conspicuous in its own right, yet still shining only a fraction as bright as Venus. Finally, after being out of sight for more than a month, Jupiter begins to become evident around midmonth, emerging from out of the bright morning twilight. It will lift a little higher above the east-northeast horizon with each passing morning and will begin to noticeably approach Venus by month's end, on into early August. In our schedule, remember that when measuring the angular separation between two celestial objects, your clenched fist held at arm's length measures roughly 10 degrees. Here, we present a schedule below which provides some of the best planet viewing times as well directing you as to where to look to see them. If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe the planets up close, our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals now can help you find the optical gear you need. Our guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can also help you prepare to take your own photos of the planets ro any other celestial wonder. Mercury reaches its greatest elongation, 26 degrees east of the sun on July 4. From latitude 40 degrees north, the +0.6-magnitude planet is low in the west-northwest and sets during twilight about 1.5 hours after sunset, and only an hour after the sun on July 12 when the planet will be of magnitude +1.2. Use binoculars to help you see Mercury on the latest possible date; more southerly observers will succeed longer. On July 31, Mercury passes through inferior conjunction — between the sun and Earth — and transitions into the morning sky. Venus, the most radiant of planets, hangs at almost the same place above the dawn horizon through July and August as the background stars slide upward behind it. Even though it is closer to the sun in angular separation compared to June, the ecliptic is inclined at a steeper angle to the horizon in July and August making Venus appear at a greater altitude. During this two-month interval it rises 2.5 to 3-hours before sunrise. On the morning of July 21, about 1.5 hours before sunrise, look low in the east-northeast sky for the slender waning crescent moon and situated about 8 degrees below it will be Venus. The bright orange star Aldebaran in Taurus will be also nearby; the trio will form a broad isosceles triangle. Earth arrives at aphelion, that point in its orbit farthest from the sun; a distance of 94,502,939 miles (152,087,738 km) on July 3 at 3:55 p.m. EDT. Mars at magnitude +1.6, has — through binning — fallen into the ranks of a second magnitude object. On the evening of July 28, about 1.5 hours after sunset, look very low in the west-southwest and you'll find this yellow-orange planet positioned about 3.5 degrees to the upper right of a waxing crescent moon. Jupiter finally emerges from the glare of the rising sun during the third week of July. Search for it very low in the east-northeast about 45 minutes before sunrise. On the morning of July 23, look about 5 degrees to its left to also glimpse a hairline (2 percent illuminated) waning crescent moon. Binoculars will prove beneficial in making this sighting. Ascending Jupiter pulls ever closer to descending Venus as July ends. Saturn begins rising in the east around 12:30 a.m. local daylight time at the start of the month; two hours earlier by month's end. But it's best seen telescopically before and during morning twilight, when it's much higher in the south. Saturn is in Pisces to the lower left of the small, dim star pattern known as the Circlet and Pegasus's large, bright Great Square. But, of course, it's the telescopic view of Saturn that we long for. This July we see the famous rings tipped toward Earth at just about their maximum inclination for 2025, only 3.5 degrees. During the predawn hours of July 16, Saturn will appear as a bright yellowish-white "star" a few degrees below the moon. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and other publications. Editor's Note: If you get a great photo of any of the planets and would like to share it with readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
July full moon 2025: The Buck Moon joins Mars and Saturn
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The full moon of July, also called the Buck Moon, will rise on July 10. A full moon occurs when the moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the sun; the night side Earth sees a fully-illuminated moon. Generally the moon rises near the time of sunset, and that will vary with latitude and season. The exact moment of full moon occurs at 4:37 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (2037 UTC) on July 10, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. In New York City, moonrise is at 8:54 p.m. EDT on July 10; sunset is at 8:28 p.m. on that day. In the northern mid-latitudes (New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London, Paris or Tokyo) the days are longer, so the moon rises later (and the sun sets later). The time the moon is above the horizon is also shorter, because in the summer months the full moon is in the sun's wintertime position – low in the sky. In New York, moonset is at 5:57 a.m. on July 11 – putting the moon above the horizon nine hours and three minutes. The situation is reversed in the Southern Hemisphere. In Melbourne, Australia, for example, the full moon occurs at 6:37 a.m. on July 11. July is during the winter months there, so the moon rises early – at 5:26 p.m. on that day. Moonset is at 8:40 a.m. the next morning, which means the moon is visible for 15 hours and 14 minutes. The varying length of time the moon is above the horizon also affects how high in the sky it gets – in New York, when the moon crosses the meridian at 12:28 a.m. July 11 (and is basically due south) it will reach an altitude of 20 degrees, whereas in Melbourne (and cities of similar latitude such as Cape Town or Santiago, Chile) the moon will reach 79 degrees above the horizon at 12:14 a.m. July 11 – nearly directly overhead. On the evening of July 10, from the latitudes of New York City, Mars will be moving towards the southwestern horizon. In New York the planet sets at 11:09 p.m.; civil twilight (when the sun is six degrees or less below the horizon) ends at 9:01 p.m., but Mars won't be easily visible until a bit later (how much later depends on the weather; clearer skies offer easier spotting). By 10 p.m. Mars is setting in the west, about 12 degrees high. The next visible planet is Saturn, which rises at 11:51 p.m. in New York. It reaches the meridian – and its highest altitude – after sunrise at 5:50 a.m. July 11. Saturn is relatively easy to spot because the region of sky it is in has few bright stars; in darker sky locations one can see the "Circlet" – an asterism made up of five fainter stars that is one of the fish in the constellation Pisces, the Fishes. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see the full moon up close? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Venus rises on July 11 at 2:49 a.m. in New York. It doesn't get far above the horizon until about 4 a.m., when it is 12 degrees high in the east. The planet will form a pair with Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus, the Bull, and from mid-northern latitudes it will appear to be above the star. Aldebaran is distinctly orange-red, so distinguishing the two is relatively easy to do. Jupiter follows at 4:39 a.m. Eastern but from the Northern Hemisphere it is lost in the glare of the sun, which comes up less than an hour later; by sunrise (5:39 a.m) Jupiter is only about 8 degrees high. Mercury is above the western horizon at sunset, but only barely so at the latitude of New York City. For those watching the sky from further south, some planets are easier to see. Mercury, which is effectively unobservable from New York, is slightly more visible in Miami, where at sunset is at 8:16 p.m. Eastern; civil twilight ends there at 8:41 p.m. on July 10 and Mercury will be 12 degrees high in the west; Mercury sets there at 9:39 p.m. If one has a clear horizon and the weather is clear one can just catch it. In Honolulu, Mercury sets earlier, at 8:44 p.m., but sunset is also earlier, at 7:17 p.m., and civil twilight ends at 7:48 p.m. By 8 p.m. Mercury is 8 degrees high in the west and can be faintly seen against the darkening sky. Once one gets to the equator prospects improve even more; in Singapore, Mercury sets at 8:53 p.m. July 11, and sunset is at 7:15 p.m. By 8 p.m. the innermost planet is still 12 degrees high in the west and should be distinct as the stars and constellations around it (the planet is in Cancer) are relatively faint. From further south, as in Melbourne, Australia, Mercury is slightly closer to the horizon but still easier to see than in the Northern Hemisphere. At sunset (5:17 p.m. on July 11) Mercury is 20 degrees high in the west; by about 6 p.m. it is about 13 degrees high and will be just visible against the twilight sky. The planet sets in Melbourne at 7:20 p.m. With the longer nights Mars and Saturn are both higher in the sky than in New York, and thus visible longer. From Melbourne, Mars is still 37 degrees high at 6 p.m., and does not set until 9:45 p.m., keeping it above the horizon for a full four and a half hours, as opposed to two and a half hours in New York. Saturn rises in Melbourne at 11:05 p.m. July 11, and crosses the meridian at 5:11 a.m. at an altitude of 53 degrees; more than halfway up to the zenith from the horizon at due north. In the Southern Hemisphere the planet is above the Circlet in Pisces, and by 7:00 a.m. as sunrise approaches (it is at 7:34 a.m. July 12) Saturn is still at 45 degrees. Venus rises at 4:26 a.m. July 12 in Melbourne, and by sunrise is 27 degrees above the northeastern horizon. As in the Northern Hemisphere it forms a pair with Aldebaran, though it will appear to be below and to the left of the star as opposed to above it due to the "flipped" orientation of the sky. Jupiter, as for Northern Hemisphere observers, will be lost in the solar glare; it will emerge in the coming months. By 10 p.m. in the mid-northern latitudes, one will see summer constellations near the moon; the moon itself is in Sagittarius, and bright enough that the stars of said constellation may be hard to spot, but look to the right of the moon and one might be able to see the "teapot" shape that marks the constellation. From the continental U.S. or Europe at 10 p.m. the moon won't be more than seven to 10 degrees high, so Sagittarius will be similarly low in the sky. Turning further to the right (southwards) one encounters Scorpius, the Scorpion, recognizable by the bright reddish star Antares. At 10 p.m. Antares is almost due south; from New York its altitude is about 22 degrees. On the right side of Antares one can see the three fainter stars in a vertical line that are the claws, looking slightly left and down one can follow a curving line of stars to the tail. Looking to the east, above and to the left of the moon, is the Summer Triangle, an asterism consisting of Vega, or Alpha Lyrae, Deneb (Alpha Cygni) and Altair (Alpha Aquilae). Vega is the highest of the three; at about 10 p.m. it is 63 degrees high in the east. Go down and to the left and the next bright star one sees – it will be about two thirds as high as Vega – is Deneb, the tail of Cygnus the Swan. Look to the right (imagine a right triangle with Deneb at the 90 degree corner) and one will see Altair, which will be about a third of the way up to the zenith from the horizon. Turn left of Deneb and you are facing north; Deneb is almost exactly northeast. The Big Dipper will be on the left side of the sky – the end of the handle will be pointing upwards, with the bowl downwards from there. One can use the "pointers" of the Dipper's bowl to find Polaris, the Pole star, and if one continues towards the right and downward one touches the "W" shape of Cassiopeia, the Queen, which will be close to the horizon on the right side of Polaris. One can use the handle of the Big Dipper to "Arc to Arcturus", the brightest star in Boōtes, the Herdsman, which will be some 54 degrees high in the southwest. Arcturus is recognizable because it looks slightly reddish or orange. Look left of Arcturus (eastwards) and one can see a bright circlet of stars, this is Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. Keep going left – towards Vega – and one encounters a group of four medium-bright stars in a square, which is the "keystone" – the center of the constellation Hercules. Continuing the "arc" from Arcturus ends at Spica, the alpha star of Virgo, which is nearly setting at this point in the year. In the mid-southern latitudes, the sky will be dark by 7 p.m. and one will see the moon in the east, with Antares above it and slightly to the left. Sagittarius will be above the moon, and Scorpius above that; Antares is some 53 degrees high in the east from the latitudes of Melbourne or Santiago, Chile. Looking to the southwest, one can see Canopus, the brightest star in Carina, the Keel of the Ship about 15 degrees high. Turning almost due south (left) and two thirds of the way to the zenith one can spot the Southern Cross, which points to the southern celestial pole (though there is no equivalent of Polaris to mark it). To the left of the Cross are Hadar and Rigil Kentaurus, or Alpha Centauri; Hadar is closer to the Cross while Alpha Centauri is level with it and further to the left. In the Old Farmer's Almanac, the full moon of July is also referred to as the Thunder Moon, reflecting the fact that in much of North America thunderstorms are more common in the hotter months. While the full moon names are sometimes adapted from local Native peoples that the settlers encountered, many Native nations don't use the same terms at all — the Ojibwe people, would call it the Raspberry Moon. The Woodland Cree call the July lunation the Feather Molting Moon. In the Chinese lunar calendar the July full moon is in the sixth month, called Lotus Month or Héyuè. The Chinese lunar calendar adds what is known as a leap month every few years to keep the lunar calendar in line with the seasons of the year; this means that the August full moon will also be in the sixth month. For some Hindus, Buddhists and Jainists, the July full moon is the festival of Guru Purnima, in the lunar month of Ashadha, which celebrates spiritual teachers (called gurus); it is also a time for academics and scholars to pay respects to their own mentors and teachers. For some Buddhists, it is a day to honor the Buddha, who gave his last sermon on this day. Jainists see this day as starting a four-month period of special devotion to teachers and gurus, and in Nepal the day is used to honor teachers. In Laos, the full moon will start the Boun Khao Phansa Festival, which is the beginning of a three-month period of devotion for monks (which also corresponds with the rainy season). Many people will leave small necessities at Buddhist temples for the monks; it is also a period when many novice monks are initiated. Editor's Note: If you capture an amazing full moon or night sky photo and want to share it with for a story or gallery, please send images and comments to spacephotos@
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How to see Mars visit a bright star and the moon this June
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This has been a most interesting year to follow Mars. If you've been monitoring the Red Planet since the start of 2025, you have no doubt noted the dramatic change in its brightness as well as the occasional interactions it has had with the moon, bright stars and other celestial objects. Mars travels a little more than half of its orbit each Earth year, and thus has oppositions (that point in the sky where it appears directly opposite to the sun in the sky) every two years plus about 50 days (its "synodic period," which is also the longest for any known planet). Prior to 2025, the last opposition of Mars was on Dec. 8, 2022; after 2025, the next will come on Feb. 19, 2027. It reached opposition this year on Jan. 16 and two nights earlier, on Jan. 14, a nearly full moon passed directly in front of Mars as seen from much of North America. Mars is the most Earth-like planet of all known beyond our own, and it passed closest to Earth during the American morning of Jan. 12, just 3.5 days before opposition. But the 2025 apparition of Mars has been one of the poorer and more distant ones in the planet's 15-to-17-year cycle of oppositions near and far. Just three months after opposition, Mars arrived at aphelion (farthest from the sun) in its eccentric orbit, so we came no closer than 59.7 million miles (96.1 million kilometers) to it last winter — some 5.3 light minutes away. Shining with a yellow-orange hue, it attained its peak brightness, gleaming at magnitude -1.3. That's just a trifle fainter than Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Ever since Jan. 12, however, it has been receding from Earth, and consequently it has gradually been getting dimmer. So, we're leaving it behind, and ever since Feb. 24, Mars has been traveling in prograde (eastward) motion — a long, straight line around the sky, becoming steadily farther away and smaller. Still, in spite of its fade-down, it continued to put on an eye-catching show during February and March with the "twin stars" of Gemini, Pollux and Castor as the brightest member of a prominent, albeit temporary, triangle. And then, on the evening of May 4, Mars made a very close pass near the Beehive Star Cluster (M44), a very pretty sight as viewed through binoculars or a low-power, wide-field telescope. And during the latter part of June, Mars will again make for a couple of eye-catching shows, teaming up first with a bright star and then, late this month, with Earth's nearest neighbor in space. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to see Alcor and the other stars of the Big Dipper? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Mars now appears as nothing more than a featureless dot in most telescopes. But on Tuesday evening (June 17), it forms a wonderful naked-eye pairing with the thin, only slightly brighter star Regulus in the constellation of Leo the Lion. Observers in the Americas will see the planet and star 2 degrees apart or less from June 13 through June 20, and one degree or less apart June 15 through June 18. For viewers, around 40 degrees north latitude, Regulus and Mars are side by side, only 1.5 degrees apart on June 14, and Mars is 45 arc minutes (three quarters of one degree) almost straight above Regulus on June 17. That will be the evening when they are closest together. Neither one is exceptionally bright; Regulus shines at magnitude +1.34 and Mars is at magnitude +1.41. But the fact that they will appear so near to each other and are so closely matched in brightness will make them appear to stand out in the early evening sky. Look for them around 10 p.m. local daylight time, roughly one-quarter up in the western sky. In addition to their closeness to each other, look for the orange-gold of Mars and blue-white of Regulus to appear intensified by contrast to each other when they are so close together (as seen with the naked eye or binoculars). On Sunday evening, June 29, a waxing crescent moon, 24% illuminated by the sun, will pass very close to Mars and make for a rather attractive sight, low in the western sky at dusk. The moon, moving around Earth in an easterly direction at roughly its own diameter each hour, will appear to pass just below the orange-gold planet. Even though North America will miss out on seeing the moon pass directly in front of Mars (called an "occultation"), Mars will attract attention as it slowly appears to glide above the moon. The view of the moon occulting Mars will be restricted to parts of Ecuador and Peru. After closest approach, the moon will move slowly away from Mars. Locations to the east (or to the right) of a line running roughly from central Texas through central Ontario will be in various stages of twilight at the moment that the moon and planet are closest together (called a "conjunction"). To the west (or to the right) of that line, the sun will be above the horizon when the two are in conjunction, but will still appear relatively close as darkness falls. For places where the two are closest together within an hour or less after sunset, you'll probably initially need binoculars to pick Mars out against the bright twilight sky. Once the sky has sufficiently darkened, however, Mars will be relatively easy to see. For most locations, the upper limb of the moon will skim to within about 20 arc minutes (one-third of a degree) of Mars. For places across the northern U.S. and Canada, the gap between the two will be a bit larger, while across the southern U.S. and the Caribbean, the gap will be a bit smaller. The table below (calculated exclusively for by Joe Rao) provides the specific details for 15 selected cities in the U.S. and Canada. The table gives civil times (all p.m.) of Mars' closest approach to the edge of the moon's upper limb. Separation between Mars and the moon's upper edge is given in terms of minutes of arc (the apparent width of the moon on June 29 is 31 arc minutes), and the percentage of the apparent width of the moon. A value of 0.48, for example, is equal to 48% of the moon's width (or fractionally, slightly less than one-half). Examples: from Miami, closest approach between Mars and the moon is at 10:13 p.m. EDT. Separation is 15 arc minutes or 0.48, which is just under one-half of a moon's width from Mars to the upper edge of the moon. From New York, closest approach is at 9:48 p.m. EDT, the separation is listed at 23 arc minutes or 0.74, which means that 74% of the moon's width will separate Mars from the moon's upper edge. Related Stories: — How to see the 'Horse and Rider' in the Big Dipper's handle this summer — Mars: Everything you need to know about the Red Planet — June's Strawberry Moon treats skywatchers to a rare low-riding show (photos) After its rendezvous with the moon, Mars will continue to press on to the east. In the weeks and months that follow, Mars will continue to be a fixture in the evening sky, but will continue to recede from Earth and consequently will get fainter, diminishing to the rank of second magnitude. Passing north of Spica on Sept. 13 and Mercury on Oct. 19, Mars will be getting progressively lower in the sky — more southerly and nearer to the sunset. When it finally fades into the evening twilight glow of early November, it will be on the far side of the sun, some 225 million miles (362 million km) from Earth and just 1/13 as bright as it was in mid-January. It will finally end its run as an evening object when it will be at conjunction with the sun next year, on Jan. 9. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope and other publications.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Catch Jupiter and Mercury side by side in the evening sky this week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The nights surrounding June 7 will see Jupiter and Mercury crowd together close to the horizon in the northwestern sky. Stargazers in the U.S. will need a clear horizon to spot the planetary duo hanging less than 10 degrees (about a fist's width at arm's length) above the western horizon when the sun sets on June 6, with Jupiter positioned to the upper left of Mercury. The planets will only be visible for around 45 minutes after sunset, at which time they will follow our star below the horizon. The following evenings will see fleet-footed Mercury draw level with Jupiter, before rising above and away from the gas giant in the night sky as a result of the smaller world's tight orbit around the sun. On June 7, the planets will pass a little over two degrees from each other - close enough to fit comfortably inside the field of view of a pair of 10x50 binoculars. Ensure that the sun has set entirely below the horizon before you point any binoculars or telescopic gear in its direction. Side by side in the night sky, the two points of light appear similar in nature, belying the extreme differences of the solar system bodies they represent. Jupiter is a gas giant and the largest planet in our solar system, capable of fitting the smallest planet - rocky Mercury - within its expanse many thousands of times over. Want to find the planets of our solar system for yourself? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. Their orbits are similarly divergent. It takes Jupiter 12 Earth years to complete a single lap of our star while travelling at an average orbital distance of 484 million miles (778 million kilometers). Counterintuitively, the gas giant has the shortest day of any planet in the solar system, taking a mere 9.9 hours to spin on its axis, according to NASA. Mercury, on the other hand, is separated on average by 29 million miles (47 million kilometers) from our star and completes a circuit of the sun every 88 Earth days — much shorter than the 176 Earth days that it takes for the tortured world to complete a full day-night cycle. Night sky enthusiasts hoping to explore the planets of our solar system for themselves should check out our guides to the best binocular and telescope deals. Those new to the night sky should also read our guide detailing the top smartphone stargazing apps available in 2025. Editor's Note: If you capture a picture of Jupiter and Mercury and want to share it with readers, then please send it along with your comments, name and the location of the shoot to spacephotos@
