Jupiter is at opposition tomorrow night (Tuesday 21 September 2010). Casual skywatchers have this date pencilled into their diaries because it marks the start of the best Jupiter watching time of the year. On the night of opposition, Jupiter will rise as the Sun sets and set as the Sun rises the next morning.
This years opposition is special, as Jupiter will be at its closest to the Earth tomorrow night until the next best opposition in 2022. More can be found here on the Universe Today website.
Jupiter is currently easy to locate with the unaided eye. Just look low above the Eastern horizon for the brightest star you can see. That’s Jupiter! Note that even a small telescope or a steadily held pair of binoculars will resolve Jupiter into a tiny disc as well as show up to four of it’s largest moons. These will only appear as a tiny dot of light, but in reality they are each larger than the Earth’s Moon.
And if you want to use the Moon to help find Jupiter, wait until Thursday night and use the above finder chart to find Jupiter. Just look above and to the right of the Moon for Jupiter.
