Jupiter shone the brightest than ever before from Earth on Monday evening, and according to scientists, we may never witness a near encounter like this in our lifetime.
Here’s what Jupiter looked like from Earth on Monday, 26 September 2022
The largest planet in our solar system appeared brighter than ever, even in light-polluted cities on Monday evening. For the first time in 59 years, Jupiter reached opposition, a rare event that occurs when a celestial object, such as a planet, rises in the east as the sun sets in the west.
This places the celestial object in direct opposition to the sun, with planet Earth locked in the centre.
For scientists, Jupiter’s opposition is a recurring event that takes place every year or so. However, what makes this celestial sighting more exciting is the fact that it coincides with Jupiter’s closest approach to Earth.
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According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), “this happens because Earth and Jupiter do not orbit the Sun in perfect circles – meaning the planets will pass each other at different distances throughout the year.”
“Jupiter’s closest approach to Earth rarely coincides with opposition, which means this year’s views will be extraordinary. At its closest approach, Jupiter will be approximately 367 million miles in distance from Earth, about the same distance it was in 1963. The massive planet is approximately 600 million miles away from Earth at its farthest point,” NASA explained.
Here is a look at the pictures of Jupiter taken by stargazers around the world:
When is the next planet opposition?
According to Earth Sky, planets like Saturn and Mars may be visible in the evening of September 2022. Mars can be viewed in all of its glory at around 22:00 towards the end of the month.
Earth will likely get another planet opposition in less than three months, Earth Sky estimates.
Mars is expected to appear brighter, with a higher contrast of red an hour or two before sunrise between now and when the planet is due to be in opposition, on 8 December 2022.
