Don’t Miss: Jupiter To Reach Opposition, Closest Approach to Earth in 59 Years!
On Monday, September 26, Jupiter will be at opposition, providing viewers with stunning views of Jupiter all night long. Opposition is when an astronomical object rises in the east as the Sun sets in the west, placing the object and the Sun on opposite sides of the Earth from the perspective of the surface. Jupiter is in opposition every 13 months, which makes it appear larger and more brilliant than at any other time of the year. That's not all, though. This time, Jupiter will also approach Earth more closely than it has in the previous 59 years. As a result, Earth and Jupiter pass each other at varying distances throughout the year. This is due to the fact that Earth and Jupiter do not orbit the Sun in perfect circles. Jupiter's closest approach to Earth this year will coincide with opposition, which is extremely rare. At its closest approach, Jupiter will be 367 million miles away from Earth, which is almost the same distance as it was in 1963. At its furthest point, the eno...