Jupiter Approaches Earth, Providing Excellent Viewing Opportunities

Posted: September 23, 2022 11:06 am

How to Find Jupiter Shining in the Night Skies

There is not a better night to see Jupiter in all of its glory than what you will find on Monday, September 26. This planet will be the highlight of the night skies as it shines brighter than it has in almost six decades.

Jupiter to Shine Brightly in the Night Sky

The reason for the exemplary viewing conditions of Jupiter lies with the near perfect alignment of the planet with the sun and Earth. Known as the Jupiter opposition, this celestial happening occurs when Jupiter comes the closest to Earth.

Just how close will Jupiter come to Earth? The planet will be an estimated 367 miles away from Earth one day before the opposition. According to data from NASA, this is the closest that the two planets have come to each other in 59 years. It was 1963 the last time that this occurred.

While the nights of September 25 and September 26 will be the prime nights to see Jupiter shining in the sky, you will have other opportunities to catch the planet as the month comes to an end. The two planets will start to separate after the peak viewing nights, however, the difference in Jupiter’s brightness will be negligible between September 26 and October 26. This means that your best chance to check it out will be any time that your area is free of clouds to obstruct your view.

Jupiter will shine brighter than any other object in the sky except for the moon and the sun over the following weeks. Stargazers should be able to easily spot the planet with the naked eye. The large planet will be visible even in areas with large amounts of light pollution.

Cool Parts of Jupiter to Check Out With a Telescope

Although novice stargazers should be able to find Jupiter with the naked eye, the opportunity provides a great chance to try out a new telescope. If you are able to access this type of equipment, be sure to try to focus on its four largest moons. Known as Europa, Ganymede, Io, and Callisto, these four moons orbit so quickly that you will be able to see them in different positions on alternating nights.

The bright bands of colorful clouds that hover in Jupiter’s atmosphere will also be distinguishable with the right telescope. Of course, you also do not want to miss Jupiter’s Giant Red Spot.

If you have been paying attention to the latest astronomy news, you may have seen the amazing images of Jupiter recently revealed by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope. In addition to the Great Red Spot, the new images also showed the faint ring that encircles the planet.

Where to Find Jupiter

Because it will be shining so brightly, you should have an easy time finding the largest planet in the solar system. If you are having trouble finding Jupiter, try downloading an astronomy app to point you in the right direction.

Or simply train your eyes towards the southeast after the sun goes down. Jupiter will begin to rise in the constellation Pisces, a constellation that is viewable everywhere around the world except for Antarctica. The distinctive V-shape of the constellation and its large size makes it easy to identify. Jupiter will be sitting below the constellation.

It should be noted that only the planets that rotate beyond Earth’s orbit ever come into opposition. This means that Mercury and Venus will never be in opposition because they orbit the sun from within the path of Earth’s orbit.

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