Jupiter Takes Over the Skies During Viewing

The gas giant Jupiter will be the focus of attention for stargazers at a free, public viewing with the powerful Keck Telescope Friday, Dec. 16. The viewing, which begins about 7 p.m., lasts several hours. The observatory opens its doors to the public every third Friday of the month in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members bring their own telescopes to Westmont for the public to gaze through. In case of inclement weather, please call the Telescope Viewing Hotline at (805) 565-6272 and check the Westmont website to see if the viewing has been canceled.

Westmont physics instructor Thomas Whittemore says Jupiter will be high in the sky with its Great Red Spot in view. “If conditions are good, we may be able to get a glimpse of this cloud storm on Jupiter's surface,” he says.

Other celestial objects that may be featured include several craters on the moon and open clusters in the Milky Way. “Within the sunlit section of the moon will be the wonderful triplet of craters: Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel,” Whittemore says. “If the weather cooperates, we may be able to see some details in the basins of these ancient craters.”

Whittemore says some open clusters, groups of several thousand stars, form interesting patterns. “NGC 457 looks like an owl and is known as the "Owl Cluster," he says. “NGC 663 looks like an S. Could it be that some distant civilization, lying 7,200 light-years away, is trying to communicate with us? Probably not, but it is fun to think about.”