Jupiter will be at opposition tonight.
As of tonight, Jupiter will reach opposition – but what does this mean?
For a planet to be at opposition, the Earth must be situated directly between it and the sun.
So, in this case, the Earth will be lying between Jupiter and the sun.
Planets look bigger and brighter during opposition – a treat for stargazers and astronomers everywhere!
Jupiter reaches opposition every 13 months, making the planet appear larger and brighter. According to NASA, this particular instance of opposition will be Jupiter’s closest approach to Earth in 59 years! This is because the respective orbits of Jupiter and Earth are not perfectly circular – leading to them passing each other at different distances throughout the year.
NASA estimates that Jupiter will be around 367 million miles away from Earth, the same distance that it was in 1963.
That being said, Jupiter will be most visible from around 10pm tonight, so plan ahead!
With a good pair of binoculars, you can definitely see Jupiter’s central band, and maybe a few of its many moons. If you’ve got a telescope, even better!
Additionally, we highly recommend finding a dark spot, away from any light pollution, if you plan on spotting Jupiter. Some ideal locations would be Mellieħa’s Selmun, l-Aħrax, and Armier; Dingli Cliffs, Mġarr’s Fomm ir-Riħ, and Żebbuġ and Nadur in Gozo.
Are you looking forward to this celestial event?
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr, Davide Seddio/Flickr