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christmas sky show presented by science

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at nasa

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just when you thought christmas was over

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at the end of the day on december 25th a

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pair of holiday lights will pop out of

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the deepening twilight

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jupiter and the moon are having a

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christmas conjunction

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it's a global apparition visible from

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all time zones and both sides of the

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equator

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everyone can see the show even city

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dwellers who often miss astronomical

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events because of light pollution

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separated by less than two degrees the

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bright pair will beam right through city

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lights

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for anyone who gets a telescope for

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christmas the timing is perfect

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jupiter and the moon are among the most

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satisfying targets for backyard optics

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a quick sweep of the telescope from

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jupiter to the moon and back again will

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reveal jupiter's storms and cloud belts

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the moon's mountains and impact craters

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and of course the four galilean

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satellites circling the giant planet

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like a miniature solar system

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jupiter's trademark great red spot will

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also be on display

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and it is worth a look

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astronomers recently announced that the

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enormous swirling storm twice as wide as

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the planet earth is spinning up

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actually explains planetary scientist

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glenn orton of nasa's jet propulsion

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laboratory the red spot is shrinking

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he likens it to the iconic picture of a

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figure skater pulling her arms in to

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spin faster

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as the size contracts the spin rate

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increases john rogers head of the

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british astronomical association's

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jupiter section

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noticed the phenomenon in recent

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pictures of jupiter snapped by amateur

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astronomers

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he was able to track a black cloud as it

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swirled three times around the red

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spot's central vortex

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the circulating streak completed the

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circuit in only four days shorter than

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the four and a half days rogers measured

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in 2006 using the same method

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looking back in time the trend of

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decreasing rotation period has been

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consistent at least since voyager

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visited jupiter in 1979 says rogers

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as the spot shrinks it also changes

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shape

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decades ago the red spot looked like a

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sausage now it's more circular

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what happens next is hard to say

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perhaps the red spot will continue to

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shrink and eventually disappear

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speculates rogers

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or perhaps it will be rejuvenated if

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some new storm arises to reinforce it

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one thing is certain christmas night is

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a good time to look

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the red spot will be transiting

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jupiter's middle for observers across

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north america and will be perfectly

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positioned for telescopic observations

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but you don't need a telescope to enjoy

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the show

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step outside at sunset on december 25th

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and look east

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after all christmas isn't really over

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until you've seen the holiday lights