Jupiter Closest to Earth 2022(Jupiter At Opposition 2022)
On Monday 26 September, Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, will be closest to our Earth in the last 70 years. It will look bigger and brighter than at any time.
At its closest approach this year, Jupiter will be at a distance of about 365 million miles (58,74,10,560 km) from Earth. Jupiter is about 600 million miles away from Earth at its farthest point.
Actually, the Earth will come between Jupiter and the Sun on 26 Sep. Jupiter, Earth and Sun will all be in one line.During this time Jupiter will be at the shortest distance of the year from Earth.
Due to the shortest distance between Earth and Jupiter, Jupiter will be visible in the sky on this night. This astronomical event is called 'Jupiter at opposition'.
Jupiter at opposition happens every 13 months. During this time Jupiter appears bigger and brighter than at any other time of the year. But that isn't all.
Jupiter this year will make its closest approach to Earth in the last 70 years. This is because the Earth and Jupiter do not revolve around the Sun in perfect circles.
After rising in the east, you will be able to see Jupiter all night. In the middle of the night it will be right above the head and in the early morning it will set in the west direction.
Being the largest planet, Jupiter remains bright, but due to being closest at this time, it will look different. It will be brighter than any other point of light in the sky.
Planetary opposition occurs when a celestial body rises in the east, as the Sun sets in the west, placing the object and the Sun on opposite sides of Earth.
The opposition can only be for the 'outer' planets- Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. At that time the Earth is closest to those planets. those planets are also visible throughout the night.
About Jupiter
More than 1,000 Earths can fit inside Jupiter, the fifth planet from the Sun. All the other planets together make up only about 70 percent of its volume.
Jupiter is the fastest planet to spin on its axis. Jupiter orbits the Sun every 12 years and rotates on its axis every 10 hours. Jupiter's equatorial diameter is equal to 11 Earths.
Scientists believe that a total of 79 moons of Jupiter have been detected. The four largest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, are called Galilean satellites.
NASA's Juno spacecraft, launched to explore Jupiter's surface and its moons, has been orbiting the planet for six years. Juno began its journey in 2011 and reached Jupiter five years later.
Since 2016, the Juno spacecraft has provided incredible images and data about Jupiter's vibrant atmosphere, internal structures, internal magnetic field and magnetosphere.