Vietnamese people 'hunt' for photos of the largest planet in the solar system when it is closest to Earth in 2023

Many Vietnamese astronomy enthusiasts have 'hunted' for photos of Jupiter and its moon, when the largest planet in the solar system comes closest to Earth in 2023.

According to the Hanoi Astronomical Society (HAS), the night of November 3 and the early morning of November 4 is the time when the giant planet Jupiter will be at its closest position to Earth in 2023 and its surface will be completely illuminated by the sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year and will be observed all night.

Photo of Jupiter on the evening of November 3 was taken by Mr. Huy. NGUYEN TRAN HUY

As a person who is passionate about taking pictures of planets in the sky, Nguyen Tran Huy (28 years old, living in Hanoi) did not miss this "golden moment" to take pictures of Jupiter and its moons, especially Ganymede, considered the largest moon in the solar system.

Mr. Huy said that with his "tools" being the Maksutov 127 telescope combined with the Celestron Barlow Lens 2x and the Canon 60D camera, he observed and "hunted" for photos of Jupiter. The astronomy lover added that he observed this planet from 9-10 pm, when it was high in the sky.

"I often take pictures of Jupiter, and I took one last month, so I clearly saw the difference in this photo, as the planet was brighter and bigger than before. This also made me feel excited. Luckily, the weather was favorable so I could observe it more fully at night. The most interesting thing in the photo I took was seeing the moon Ganymede casting a shadow on Jupiter," said Huy.

Mr. Huy observed and took pictures of Jupiter throughout the months of this year. In the photo taken on the evening of November 3, we can see the moon Ganymede casting a shadow on Jupiter. He said he has a passion for observing and taking pictures of planets. NGUYEN TRAN HUY

Sharing the photo on an astronomy group, Huy's photo received the attention of many people with the same passion. He said that it was the motivation for him to continue his passion for the sky, a passion that has been with him since he was a child.

Meanwhile, Vo Duc Quan, a secondary school student in Phuoc Ninh District (Ninh Thuan) also used a telescope to observe Jupiter on the night of November 3 and early morning of November 4. Quan said that during the observation night, the planet was brighter than usual.

"I took pictures and shared them with everyone. Jupiter is not easy to photograph, so observing and recording the moment Jupiter is closest to Earth during the year is also an interesting thing," Quan said.

According to HAS, the evening of November 3 is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. "A medium-sized telescope will be able to show you some detail in Jupiter's cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars will allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, which appear as bright dots on either side of the planet," HAS instructed. NGUYEN TRAN HUY

Photo of Jupiter taken by Quan on the evening of November 3. VO DUC QUAN

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