Jupiter Approaches Closest in 59 Years... Aligns in a Straight Line with Earth and Sun [Reading Science]

NASA Estimates Approximately 590 Million km Distance
3.7 Hundred Million km Closer Than the Farthest 960 Million km
Rare Simultaneous Occurrence of Closest Approach and Opposition
"Jupiter's Rings and Moons Observable Even with Binoculars"

▲'JUICE,' which will explore Jupiter and its moons, will be launched in 2022.
[Photo by NASA/ESA]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, will approach Earth at the closest distance in 59 years on the 26th. In particular, an opposition phenomenon, where the Sun, Earth, and Jupiter align almost simultaneously in a straight line?meaning Jupiter is positioned directly opposite the Sun as seen from Earth?is also expected to occur, drawing significant attention.

According to NASA on the 21st, the opposition phenomenon between Jupiter and the Sun occurs once every 13 months, and the close approach between Earth and Jupiter happens about once a year. However, it is very rare for these two phenomena to occur simultaneously.

This time, such an event will happen. The opposition will occur on the 26th, and the closest approach between Earth and Jupiter will take place on the 25th. Therefore, this period is the best time to observe Jupiter from Earth. Jupiter will shine unusually bright and large in the night sky. It is the best observation opportunity for amateur enthusiasts with binoculars or small telescopes, with high mountains, dark and dry places being optimal locations. Adam Kobelski, an astronomer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, said, "The few days around the 26th will be a very good time to observe Jupiter," adding, "If the weather is good on these dates, just look for the brightest star (Jupiter) in the night sky near the outer edge of the Moon."

While Earth takes 365 days to orbit the Sun once, Jupiter takes about 4,333 days. NASA estimates that the distance between Earth and Jupiter on the 26th will be approximately 590 million km. Considering that the farthest distance is about 960 million km, this is a considerably close distance. The most recent time Earth and Jupiter were this close was in October 1963. At this proximity, even high-performance binoculars, not just astronomical telescopes, can reveal Jupiter’s rings and 3 to 4 of its Galilean moons. These are the very moons first observed by the astronomer Galileo Galilei in the 17th century, who advocated the heliocentric theory. Among Jupiter’s 79 moons, about the four largest are expected to be visible: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. They appear as several bright dots outside Jupiter’s edge.

Among these, Europa is believed to have a vast ocean of ice beneath its surface, raising the possibility of life, and the exploration spacecraft "Europa Clipper" is scheduled to be launched in 2024. To observe Jupiter’s most important feature, the Great Red Spot, a more powerful and larger aperture astronomical telescope is required. The Great Red Spot, estimated to be about 16,000 km wide, is thought to be the largest hurricane in the solar system. It rotates at an incredibly fast speed of approximately 470 to 685 km/h and is expected to be formed with a depth comparable to the distance between the Earth’s seabed and the International Space Station (ISS).