Sun & Jupiter celestial path

Event Date: April 25th
Time: 8:00 PM

Brief
  
   We have enjoyed several months of Jupiter as an evening planet, since seeing it rise during later hours in early fall.  However, it is about time to say goodbye to the "king (sized)" planet, as the Sun has been seen moving faster against the stars than Jupiter.  Since a year on Jupiter is 12 Earth-years rounded up, it means that we see the Sun move about twelve times along the ecliptic plane for every one of Jupiter's.  I will plot the celestial paths of each for the last four months; that is about how long it has been since Jupiter has been increasing in prograde motion. to show more of the Sun's path, I hid the horizon in the image.

       *click on images to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

Detailed

Looking at the image, the increment markers for Jupiter separate as Jupiter picks up in motion west to east, while the Sun's are evenly spaced.  Back in December, where it shows Jupiter's markers squeezed together, about twelve of them fit into the gap between the Sun's.  Therefore, it was then that Jupiter was going at about its average rate against the stars.  Since I only have the markers for every 10 days however, there are not enough showing for Jupiter to indicate the fitting.
   Although Jupiter is moving faster than average against the stars in pro-grade motion shortly before conjunction with the Sun, that allows it to be visible and out of the glare for so long before finally becoming engulfed.  When Jupiter re-emerges from the Sun's glare in the late spring, it takes awhile to see it easily; I will show this in further detail late next month.  When it happens this year, the Sun is about as far north as it gets, being close to the summer solstice.  The planet is bright enough to find with optical aid rising then just before the Sun, although not easily seen with the eye and high enough until early July.  It will not be high enough out of atmospheric pollution to see features until later in July.