Uranus
January 2011 :
Note: This article may contain outdated information
This article was published in the January 2011 issue of The Skyscraper and likely contains some information that was pertinent only for that month. It is being provided here for historical reference only.
What’s your favorite planet? How about your top three? Most likely, Uranus isn’t one of them. While it’s hard to ignore the intriguing detail presented by Jupiter and Mars or the visual splendor of Saturn and its rings, Uranus possesses an ethereal beauty that none of them can match. Its almost mystical bluish hue stands out in stark contrast to the dark background sky. To me, Uranus is reminiscent of similarly-hued planetary nebulae like NGC 7662 (the “Blue Snowball”) in Andromeda.
Although it inhabits the outer reaches of the solar system, Uranus is bright enough to be viewed with binoculars and small telescopes. With a magnitude of +5.8, it can even be viewed with the unaided eye under ideal dark-sky conditions. To see the planet’s tiny 4 arc-second disk, equal to the apparent size of a golf ball 1.3 miles away, you’ll need a telescope that can handle magnifying powers in excess of 100X.
If you’ve been avoiding Uranus because it’s harder to locate than the bright naked eye planets, you’re in luck. Since mid-2010, Uranus has been undergoing a triple conjunction with Jupiter. The final stage of this cosmic dance is about to commence. During the waning days of 2010 and first week of 2011, Jupiter and Uranus will be close enough to view together in a one-degree-wide telescopic field. This month (January 24th, to be precise) marks the 25th anniversary of the historic flyby of Uranus by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. Celebrate the event with your own visit to the seventh planet.
Your comments on this column are welcome. E-mail me at gchaple@hotmail.com.
