[Brad Lockyer]

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system will be bigger and brighter in the sky this week than it usually is. Astronomers say this week brings the best conditions all year for spotting the gas giant.

The reason Jupiter appears so large in the sky at the moment is because it is currently in ‘opposition’ to the sun, which essentially means Jupiter is opposite the sun in the sky from our point of view.

Astrophysics Professor Jonti Horner says this week will be the best time to see Jupiter with the naked eye.

Where to find Jupiter in the sky depends on what time of night it is. Professor Horner says if it’s still near sunset, place your back to the sun and look towards the horizon. Jupiter should be the brightest ‘star’ you can see.

If it’s closer to midnight, then Jupiter will appear directly overhead.
“It’s very bright, you could almost mistake for it as an aircraft with its headlights on,” Professor Horner says.

If you want to see more detail, you can grab a pair of binoculars.

“You’ll see that it’s a disc of light,” Professor Horner says.

“You might see two, three or maybe four points of bright light next to it – the four really big moons of Jupiter.

Have you noticed Jupiter dominating the sky this week?

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