A crisp, clear, moonlit night in Boulder, Colorado. The brightest light in the sky at the end of the clip is the planet Jupiter. On average, Jupiter is the fourth brightest object in the night sky behind the Sun, Moon and Venus (occasionally Mars will appear brighter).
The Romans named the planet after their god Jupiter. The observation of Jupiter dates back to at least the Babylonian astronomers of the 7th or 8th century BC. In 1610, Galileo discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter (now known as the Galilean moons) using a telescope, which is believed to be the first telescopic observation of moons other than Earth’s.
For fun, next time you are out in the night sky, download the app called “Sky Guide.” You will be amazed at what you are looking at. The normal light in the night sky might just be a planet.
The City of Boulder posted the video on their Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages.