Jupiter is presently positioned in the constellation Ophiucus. The current right ascension is 17h 00m 27s, and the current declination is -22deg 26' 01". A simplified sky chart depicting Jupiter's current position in relation to the brightest stars and constellations (see fullscreen Online Planetarium) shows it to be within 10 degrees of the border between Ophiuchus and Serpens.
Using this online tool, you can see an animation of Jupiter over time. It goes back 500 years, so you can watch it move across the sky from its discovery by Zeus-Ammon in about 780 B.C. to its present location near Scorpius. You can also click on the button for a list of all the times Jupiter has been at each celestial longitude from 0 to 360 degrees.
From latitude 40 degrees north or south, you can see down into southern Africa or Australia where Jupiter lies close to the horizon during late afternoon/early evening hours. In these regions, people use telescopes to look at the planet's atmosphere through a process called "astronomy with a telescope."
In North America, Jupiter is visible all night long from mid-northern latitudes, but it's not easy to spot because it's always low on the horizon. However, if you live in an area where there are no clouds then you have a good chance of seeing it with the naked eye.
Jupiter's current right ascension is 22h 01m 28s, and its declination is -12deg 53' 24". (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]). The planet is fainter than the star but exhibits a clear orange hue due to surface clouds. It is estimated that the average Earth-based observer would see about half of Jupiter.
In order to see all of Jupiter with the naked eye, you would need a telescope with at least a 10-inch aperture. With each passing day, Jupiter will move further away from the Sun, so it will get brighter when viewed through a telescope. In fact, without a telescope, you could still see Jupiter as a faint point of light in the night sky.
The giant planet has been known since 1610 when Galileo first spotted it through his telescope. Since then, astronomers have learned much about Jupiter's nature and activity by studying how it affects Earth and our other planets. Today, visitors to planetarium shows can watch as Jupiter is slowly decimated by meteorites from space. Its atmosphere is blown away or burned off, leaving an empty shell that is visible from outside Earth's atmosphere.
Jupiter is most likely going to be visible throughout most of 2009, although details will depend on where you live.
Jupiter will be at opposition on August 19, meaning it will be visible whenever the sky is dark, peaking about midnight. It currently burns directly on the Capricorn-Aquarius equinox, and appears early in the evening twilight, but it's still somewhat low in the southeast.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and by far the most massive object beyond Earth's moon. It has been estimated to contain more than 17% of the total mass of the Solar System. Its name comes from the Latin word for "god" or "jovial".
It is usually visible with the naked eye as a bright star-like object. But you need a telescope to see its many satellites and numerous other features.
In fact, Galileo first saw Jupiter's four large moons with his own eyes using a telescope. He called them "Starry Nights". Today we know they are not stars but planets themselves. Jupiter's clouds often hide internal structures that may never be seen by humans.
Galileo also discovered that Jupiter is surrounded by several large rings that are made mainly of ice particles. These rings are now known to extend over 150 million kilometers around Jupiter.
The Astronomical Unit (AU) is a distance between the center of Earth and the outer surface of the Moon.
This massive planet has a strong magnitude of 2.9.
To see Jupiter, find the constellation Capricorn (the Sea Goat) between 11:30 and 12:30 am. It's just below the southern horizon as darkness falls.
In English, júpiter means "god of thunder". In Roman mythology, Jupiter is the god of sky and thunder. He is also called "the king of gods and men", "the ruler of nations", and "the commander of armies".
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and the second most massive body after Earth itself. It has been described as a gas giant with a dense atmosphere made primarily of hydrogen and helium. However, due to geologic activity over time, Jupiter has many different types of terrain including oceans, mountains, and plains. The largest ocean is called Júpiter Ísland (Icelandic for "Jupiter Island") and covers an area about the size of Texas. Mountains as high as 14,000 feet have been measured on Jupiter.
It is visible in the morning sky from Mountain View, becoming visible at 21:33, when it reaches a height of 7 degrees over your south-eastern horizon. At 02:09, it will reach its greatest position in the sky, 39 degrees above your southern horizon...
| 14 Jul 2020 | – Jupiter at opposition |
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| 02 Nov 2023 | – Jupiter at opposition |
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