Jupiter will be directly opposite the Sun as seen from Earth on Monday (September 26), allowing sky watchers to see the solar system’s largest planet in stunning detail during an event known as Opposition.
during the opposition JupiterThe Earth and the Sun are aligned in such a way that both planets are on the same side of the star with the Earth sitting between these two massive bodies. Where the gas giant reaches resistance while rising from the east at the same time the sun In the West, it will also be in place Closest approach to Earth , known as the gutter. This closer approach would bring Jupiter about 367 million miles from Earth, the closest gas giant planet to our planet since 1963.
During opposition the planet will be in Pisces They are visible most of the night, rising at sunset and disappearing at sunrise. You can watch a webcast of Jupiter in opposition on Tuesday (September 27) starting at 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT) thanks Virtual Telescope Project (Opens in a new tab).
Related: NASA says Jupiter has been at its closest point to Earth in 59 years
according to At-The-Sky.org (Opens in a new tab), Jupiter will be visible overnight from New York between 7:33 PM EDT (2333 GMT) on September 26 and 06:08 AM (1008 GMT) on Tuesday (September 27). The planet will appear from 7 degrees above the eastern horizon moving to 49 degrees above the southern horizon (its highest point) at 12:51 a.m. EDT (0451 GMT) on Tuesday morning (September 27) before sinking below the west. horizon. For sky watchers living in New York City, The Gothamist has collected some tips on How do you see the planet from New York City (Opens in a new tab) especially.
Wherever you are, the best way to see Jupiter in opposition would be with binoculars or a telescope from a dark, dry area at a high altitude. Good binoculars should be enough to see the scope across the gas giant’s center and even some of its large moons. The view should allow the use of a large telescope to the planet’s ‘Great Red Spot’ – a very wide storm that can swallow two Earths side by side.
Although it occurs on similar time scales, Jupiter’s oppositions and perihelion rarely coincide, making this a rare and unmissable opportunity to view the massive planet. Jupiter moves in opposition about every 13 months, at which time it is larger and brighter in the sky than usual.
Since the Earth revolves around the sun for 365 days, it also approaches its closest point to Jupiter once every 12 months. Jupiter’s orbit around our star takes 12 times longer.
While they are separated by more than 350 million miles a land And a gas giant that may seem not close, the greatest distance between our planet and Jupiter is about 600 million miles (960 million km).
Jupiter is about 484 million miles (778 kilometers) from the sun, more than five times the average distance between Earth and the star. This huge distance from the Sun means that approaching Jupiter will make only a small difference in its size in the night sky.
If you miss Jupiter in opposition this year, the next chance to see this astronomical event will be on November 3, 2023.
Whether you are new to skywatching or have been attached to it for years, make sure not to miss our guides at best binoculars and the The best telescopes To discover Jupiter and other celestial wonders. To capture the best pictures of Jupiter you can take, check out our recommendations for the best astrophotography camerasAnd the Best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you took a photo of Jupiter in opposition and would like to share it with readers of Space.com, send your photo(s), comments, name, and location to [email protected].
