Rare Event: Jupiter to Hide Behind the Moon

"A rare and spectacular event will occur in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Dec. 7 when the brilliant planet Jupiter and three of its largest satellites pass behind Earth's Moon.

Astronomers refer to this phenomenon as an "occultation," taken from the Latin occultare, which means “to conceal.” This eye-catching sight will be visible in complete darkness across all of eastern and much of central North America.

The waning Moon will be 26 percent illuminated, a crescent just 4-½ days before new.

It's been decades since Jupiter has played hide-and-seek for U.S. skywatchers under favorable dark-sky circumstances. Across the western and central states, Jupiter was occulted at dawn on Oct. 19, 1968 in a widely watched event. For viewers farther East the wait has been considerably longer.

The last time New Yorkers were treated to such a favorably placed dark-sky Jupiter occultation was on Sept. 3, 1889. After 2004, there will not be another similarly favorable Jupiter occultation for most North Americans until Oct. 6, 2026. "

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Rare Event: Jupiter to Hide Behind the Moon