The Uganda Atlas

Wekesa George (S4. Seeta High School, Mukono Campus) Mikono District, Uganda 2008

Display of Jupiter, Venus and the moon triangle over Uganda on 1 st December 2008 Source : Wekesa George (S4. Seeta High School, Mukono Campus) Mikono District, Uganda 2008

A Rare Meeting: Jupiter, Venus and the Moon

On 1st December 2008, the night-time skies over Uganda witnessed the seemingly meeting of three of four solar system’s best known celestial objects. The moon, brightest of the three objects in the above photo, was 405 600 km away from Earth. Venus, to the left of the moon, was the second brightest object in the sky and 151 million kilometres away. Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, was a dimmer third and 869 kilometres away. While the three celestial objects do come together from time to time, they are often too close to the sun or unite at a time when they are not so visible. The next time the three will be as close and visible, will be 18th November 2052.

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