Jupiter At Opposition This Weekend: Here’s The Best Time To See It

Jupiter is known as the king of planets. The swirling gas giant could fit 1,000 Earths inside it. It’s an absolute unit, a beautiful chonk. This Saturday, Dec. 7, brings the best Jupiter viewing opportunity of the year. 

Jupiter reaches opposition on Dec. 7. Opposition is when a planet is on the opposite side of Earth from the sun, so Earth is like the filling in a celestial Oreo cookie. 

“Jupiter will shine at its brightest for the year, rising in the east-northeast among Taurus’s stars,” NASA said in a skywatching guide for December. The gas giant will be visible all night, so head out anytime for a look. Jupiter opposition only comes along roughly every 13 months, so don’t miss it.

You can enjoy Jupiter with the naked eye, but it really pops when you look at it through a good pair of binoculars or, even better, a telescope. If binoculars are all you have, then give it a try. Anchor your elbows on a solid surface to steady the view. Look for small pinpoints of light snuggled in close around Jupiter. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot the four Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei first spotted Jupiter’s moons in 1610. Jupiter now has 95 recognized moons, but only the biggest ones can be seen with binoculars.     

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Opposition isn’t the only cool moment for Jupiter this month. NASA encourages stargazers to head outside around Dec. 14 to spot Jupiter hanging out between the moon and Aldebaran, a bright orange star in the Taurus constellation. Aldebaran is one of the brightest stars in the sky, so it should make for a lovely sight. If you need a little help tracking down the star’s location, then use a stargazing app to guide you.

While you’re enjoying Jupiter shining in the night sky, give some thought to humanity’s recent missions to the fascinating gas giant. NASA’s Juno spacecraft is still in residence and sending back stunning Jupiter views. The space agency launched its Europa Clipper mission earlier this year. Europa Clipper will get up close and personal with the icy Galilean moon Europa that may be hiding an ocean under its crust. 

Jupiter is named for the Roman king of the gods. It will be a crown jewel in your skywatching adventures this month.