See Jupiter Shine During its Closest Approach to Earth Since 1963

skywatchers will be able to see the largest planet in the solar system during an event known as opposition.

Earth and the sun are aligned in such a way that both planets are on the same side of the star. Jupiter is the closest gas giant to our planet in over 50 years.

When the sun sets and disappears when the sun rises, the planet will be visible for most of the night. You can watch a live stream of Jupiter at opposition. Thanks to the Virtual Telescope Project, there is an hour left in the day.

Jupiter will be visible from New York between 7 and 8 pm. On September 26 and 27 there will be an hour and a half of Daylight Saving Time. On Tuesday, September 27th. At 12:51 a.m., the planet will appear from 7 degrees above the eastern horizon to 49 degrees above the southern horizon. Skywatchers in New York City can learn how to view the planet from there.

The best place to see Jupiter in opposition is from a dark and dry area with high elevation. The gas giant and some of its larger moons can be seen with good binoculars. It is possible to view the planet's Great Red Spot with a telescope.

Despite being on the same time scales, Jupiter's opposition and perigee rarely coincide, making this a rare opportunity to view the massive planet. Jupiter is larger and brighter in the sky at certain times of the year.

Earth makes its closest approach to Jupiter once every 12 months while Jupiter takes 12 times as long.

The separation of Earth and Jupiter is over 350 million miles, but the distance between the two planets is close.

Jupiter is five times the distance between the Earth and the star as compared to the sun. Jupiter will only have a small effect on its size in the night sky because it is so far away.

If you don't see Jupiter at opposition this year, you'll be able to see it on Nov 3, 2023.

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