Stargazers are prepped for a double shadow transit on Jupiter starting at 9:58 pm et…
Shadows of Europa and Ganymede will cross the gas giant’s cloud tops simultaneously…
The moon Europa itself will be visible transiting the planet at the same time…
Best viewing is expected in the Midwest and Western U.S. as Jupiter sits low in Gemini…
It’s a celestial eclipse party, and Jupiter is the host…
If you have a telescope, tonight is the night to dust it off…
Witness the rare double shadow transit of Jupiter's moons Io and Ganymede. An amateur astronomer's stunning capture reveals incredible details of these celestial bodies. pic.twitter.com/KK8cozWv6J
— Sinaptica (@wwwsinaptica) March 15, 2026
The Sky Today on Friday, May 15: A double shadow transit at Jupiter
Bright Europa and Ganymede’s dark shadow cross together until 11:20 P.M. EDT, when Europa’s shadow finally appears at the eastern limb. Jupiter is now getting low for observers along the U.S. East Coast, but follow it as long as you can. Europa slips away from the disk entirely at 11:03 P.M. CDT (note the time zone change), leaving only the two shadows to finish crossing the planet’s face. Europa’s smaller shadow, east of Ganymede’s, will gain some ground and pull closer over time, but it never overtakes the larger moon’s shadow. Ganymede’s shadow transit ends at 11:26 P.M. MDT, best seen from the western half of the U.S. Europa’s shadow transit ends at 11:12 P.M. PDT, bringing the entire event to a close.
Sunrise: 5:45 A.M.
Sunset: 8:09 P.M.
Moonrise: 4:31 A.M.
Moonset: 7:15 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (1%)