This weekend will bring a striking event for sky watchers, as Jupiter is will be at its biggest and brightest. This is a great opportunity to look up and see one of the brightest objects in the sky.
This is occurring because Jupiter will be in opposition on Saturday, December 7, which means that it is directly opposite from the sun as seen from Earth. This happens every 13 months. In addition, Jupiter is at its closest to Earth just one day earlier, on Friday, December 6. This happens because, although Earth and Jupiter both have orbits around the sun that are almost circular, they are not perfectly circular. Both orbits are slightly oval shaped, called elliptical, and in 2022, Jupiter came its closest to Earth in 70 years. This is still affecting the relative closeness of Jupiter and how big it is in the sky.
Jupiter will appear to rise in the east of the sky just as the sun is setting, and will be visible roughly directly overhead at around midnight.
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It is possible to view Jupiter with the naked eye, but if you have access to binoculars or a telescope, then this is a great opportunity to make use of them. With these aids, you may even be able to see some of Jupiter’s larger moons as well. One key tip for observing objects like Jupiter is to ensure that your equipment is very stable, as even small wobbles will disrupt your view. With a telescope, use a stable mount, and if you don’t have a mount for your binoculars, then try resting your elbows on a solid surface to keep as still as possible.
If you’re interested in trying out some astrophotography, then this is also a great chance to image Jupiter. It’s a special object to photograph because of its large size and striking color, but it does have challenges due to its atmosphere. “When you observe Jupiter through a telescope, you’ll see the shimmers and distortions caused by the atmosphere,” Sky at Night magazine explains. “This makes fine detail difficult to discern.”
Sky at Night recommends using a technique called afocal imaging for getting a snapshot of the planet, but for a more accurate image, you’ll want to use the stacking method in which you take multiple images in quick succession, then add these together to create a more detailed image.