↑ Poster Maker: Feng Juan
According to astronomical science experts, Uranus, one of the eight planets in the solar system, will stage a "rush of the sun" on November 5, when if the weather is sunny, with the naked eye or with the help of small astronomical telescopes, China's interested public is expected to see the style of "Uranus".
In order of near and far, Uranus is the seventh planet in the solar system to orbit the Sun. Its biggest feature is that its axis of rotation is tilted by 98° relative to the rotation plane, and it is known as a "lying" rotating planet.
↑ This is Uranus photographed by the Us Voyager 2 probe. (Image source: NASA official website)
The so-called "opposition" means that Uranus and the Sun are exactly on both sides of the Earth, and the three are almost in a straight line, at this time Uranus is the closest to the Earth, the brightness is also the highest, and it is the most suitable opportunity for observation in the year.
"Uranus is rated 5.7 during 'opposition'. Since the limit of the human eye can see stars of about 6 magnitudes, this means that in places with excellent observation conditions, after Uranus rises to a certain height, it can be vaguely seen with the naked eye. Xiu Lipeng, director of the Tianjin Astronomical Society and an expert in astronomical science popularization, said.
↑This is the Uranus photographed by Beijing astrophotography enthusiast Zong Haiyang on October 29, 2020. (Courtesy of me)
During this "opposition", Uranus is located in the Aries celestial region. Uranus rises just to the southeast at sunset, mid-day at midnight, and doesn't set from the west until sunrise the next day, so it can be observed almost all night. The day of "rushing sun" is the first day of the tenth month of the lunar calendar, there is no moonlight interference, and the observation conditions are good.
"Under ideal observation conditions, the brightness of Uranus is faintly visible to the naked eye, but in cities with heavy light interference, it must be found with the help of small astronomical telescopes and star maps. In addition, the observation site is best selected in a place with an open field of view that avoids strong light sources, such as the suburbs or the top of the mountain. "In addition to observing Uranus, interested members of the public can also observe beautiful deep-space objects such as the Pleiades cluster, the Andromeda Galaxy and the M33 Windmill Galaxy nearby, as well as the iconic 'Autumn Quadrilateral' of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere." ”
↑This is Uranus "filmed" by Guangdong astrophotography enthusiast Zhou Zhiwei on August 22, 2020 (Uranus in the visible and infrared bands on the left, Uranus in the lower left, and Uranus and several satellites on the right based on two band photos). (Courtesy of me)
It is understood that Uranus was discovered by the British astronomer William Herschel with a telescope in 1781, it is the first large planet discovered with a telescope in human history, blue-green, about 64 times the volume of the Earth, and orbiting the sun in 84 years. This star was once named "George's Star", and later, according to the traditional customs of Westerners, named after the first generation of god king Uranos in ancient Greek mythology, which translates to Chinese is Uranus.
Producer: Zhao Cheng
Producer: Hu Qinghai
Planner: Liu Xinhui
Reporter: Zhou Runjian
Editor: Lian Changyan
It was co-produced by Xinhua News Agency and Tianjin Branch of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Starry Sky Studios