Tonight Is the Best Night in 2019 to Observe Jupiter
Tonight will be the best night of the year to get a glimpse of Jupiter and its many moons, as Earth, Jupiter and the Sun line up, making the gas planet appear brighter.
Jupiter reaches this position – called opposition because it is opposite to the Sun – every 13 months; it is also in the closest distance to Earth, making the planet appear even larger.
Brian Resnick, Science Correspondent for Vox, provides tips for optimal observation of Jupiter:
You should be able to observe Jupiter and its four brightest moons – Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede (you can see them on many clear nights) – with binoculars. And with a telescope, you can see several distinct cloud belts on Jupiter and possibly even the Great Red Spot.
During the opposition, Jupiter will rise at dusk in the southeastern sky (northeast if you are in the Southern Hemisphere) and will remain in the sky until dawn. I suggest using a smartphone app like Sky Guide to find and track it yourself.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and boasts an impressive collection of 79 moons .