Moon occults Jupiter in morning view across parts of North America

The Moon passed directly in front of Jupiter early on October 6 in a rare lunar occultation, Sky & Telescope Deep Sky and Astronomy Magazine both reported. Observers located in parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba were situated to view the gas giant vanish behind the dark limb of the Moon before dawn. [1][2][3]

According to Astronomy Magazine, the Moon passed 0.2 degrees north of Jupiter at 6:00 a.m. EDT on October 6. Shortly after the two celestial bodies rose in the Midwest region of the United States, the Moon moved to block the planet from view. [2]

Jupiter remains a primary focus of planetary science and exploration beyond ground based observations. The European Space Agency developed the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, an interplanetary spacecraft currently traveling to study three of the icy moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. [4]

The Jovian moons are prime targets for scientific study because planetary scientists believe significant bodies of liquid water exist beneath their icy crusts. These sub-surface oceans could potentially offer environments capable of supporting extraterrestrial life. [4]