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  Jupiter and Saturn   look spectacular   in a telescope. Looking at Giants

Ancient peoples all over the world were familiar with Jupiter and Saturn, two of the bodies they called wandering stars , or planets. Of the two, Jupiter is by far the

brightest. For much of the year, it shines brightly in the night sky like a beacon, outshining all the other stars by a wide margin.

The only objects brighter than Jupiter in the night sky are the Moon and Venus. Venus appears only fleetingly in twilight skies at dawn or sunset. Jupiter appears in dark night skies and may be visible all night long. Mars on occasion rivals Jupiter in brightness, and is also seen in dark night skies. But it is easy to tell them apart. Jupiter shines a brilliant white, whereas Mars has a reddish hue. This is why Mars came to be called the Red Planet.

∆ Large telescopes show many details on Jupiter’s full disc.

∆ Mars (left) and Jupiter o utshine the stars in the evening sky.

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