Download the full resolution version with Jerelyn's additions here.
 

Want a quick and easy way to illustrate what opposition is for Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, or other outer worlds? Jerelyn Ramirez of the Kansas Astronomical Observers created a toolkit hack using our "Exploring the Solar System" worksheet to do that! Jerelyn says:
 
"With another opposition coming up, I thought this sheet was a cool way for beginners to discover and understand what opposition means. I put together a hack using the Exploring the Solar System handout about the Moon - Mars Occultation happening on December 7, 2022. It is a trifecta event, the occultation, a Full Moon, and Mars opposition.

The X's mark the locations of Earth and Mars, and the red line shows about where Mars will be in the constellation Taurus during the occultation and opposition. Of course the Moon will be there too.

 On the back side of the handout is the information from SkyTools 4 from where I live in Saint Marys, KS. This cosmic event should be seen from just about anywhere in the US. The times are approximate for other locations, but it will get you close, just depending where you are when you look up. The box at the bottom of the SkyTools readout explains more detail about the occultation."

 
Download and print Jerelyn's example worksheets below:

December 2022 Oppositon of Mars
https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/MoonmarsDec2022JR.pdf

August 2021 oppositions of Jupiter and Saturn
https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/Oppositions.pdf

JR: "I slightly modified the Exploring the Solar System handout sheet to include the placement of Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn with colored X's. I marked an X where Jupiter and the Earth are in opposition and another X where Saturn and the Earth are when they are in opposition in their orbit. I explained the Earth will have moved that far in 6 days. I instruct them to take a ruler and see how they line up with the Sun and each of the colored X's respectfully. Then point out this is what we call opposition. Jupiter will be at opposition on July 14, and Saturn July 20. If they print it out they can better understand it to see how the Sun, Earth, and each planet of Jupiter, and Saturn line up and it is called opposition."

 
Download the original handout and make your own modifications on the Exploring the Solar System resource page (along with Jerelyn's examples too!):
https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=243

More NSN Toolkit Hacks & Member Contributions:
https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/news-display.cfm?News_ID=1018

 

Last Updated: November 30, 2022

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