Jumpin’ Jupiter: Tonight, the giant planet will be closer to Earth than it has been since 1963

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Space geeks, have you heard that Jupiter is getting really close to Earth tonight?

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Well, not Yes, really close. The giant gas planet, the largest in our solar system, will still be orbiting 590 million kilometers away. But that’s 375 million km. closer than when it’s at its peak, which is the word for space geeks, when it’s furthest away.

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Jupiter can be seen like a distant star for most of the year, but it will be particularly bright and detailed in the night sky on September 26-27 because it is closer to Earth than it has been since 1963 — yes, in almost six decades.

We asked Marley Leacock, astronomer and science educator at the HR MacMillan Space Center in Vancouver, about the best way to watch the rare space spectacle tonight.

When is the best time to see it?

“Jupiter is in the sky most of the night,” says Leacock. “It rises around 7 p.m. in the east and sets around 7 a.m. tomorrow. The best time to observe would be when it is highest in the sky, around 1 a.m. on September 27.”

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Why is it so clearly visible right now?

“Jupiter’s visibility has to do with where Jupiter is, but also where the Earth and Sun are,” explains Leacock.

The first reason is that “Jupiter will be in ‘opposition.’ This means that from our perspective, Jupiter is directly across from the Sun, with Earth placed directly at its center. As the sun sets in the west, Jupiter rises directly opposite in the east. The objection occurs approximately every 13 months.

“The second factor that makes Jupiter so bright is that it’s also approaching perigee. Perigee refers to when Jupiter and Earth are closest in their orbits. Perigee occurs roughly every 12 months, and the distance between the planets changes as they are in two different orbits. This perigee, the two planets, happen to be in the perfect place to be as close as possible.

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“The combination of opposition and near perigee makes the planet appear brighter in our sky.”

Is tonight the only time it’s pretty easy to spot?

“Not at all,” says Leacock. “Jupiter is typically visible 10 months of the year, alternating between early morning and late night. After opposition, it will be in the sky for shorter periods over the months. In early November, it is already high in the night sky at sunset and sets four hours before sunrise.”

It will not be visible at all until the end of March. But it will reappear around the end of May 2023. The next opposition is early November next year.

Any tips on how to see it? Will binoculars help?

“Fortunately, Jupiter is very bright and easy to see even in a light-polluted city (like Vancouver),” explains Leacock. “It appears as a very bright star in the sky. I always say try to get somewhere dark anyway just to see the stars that come out. An ideal location would be somewhere high up with a clear view of the horizon, especially if you want to see sunrise and sunset.”

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Leacock says typical binoculars will help magnify the planet, but it will still appear star-like. Those with higher magnification may allow you to see it in more detail and possibly even make out its Galilean moons.

True space geeks will want a telescope, however, because “most telescopes with an aperture of 60-90mm will give you a view of the cloud belts and the Galilean moons,” says Leacock.

More good news from tonight’s sky watching event: The forecast is for perfectly clear skies over Vancouver tonight. Enjoy viewing.

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