A celestial treat will grace the New England skies tonight and you’ll want to take a peek because it won’t happen again for another 107 years!
Jupiter is going to be entering opposition, meaning the planet will move into a position directly opposite the sun, with Earth in between. NASA says this is the closest Jupiter has been to Earth in 59 years -- still a remarkable 367 million miles away.
Jupiter will appear big and bright in the sky, and with a pair of good binoculars or a telescope, you will be able to see the planet's bands.
Now, of course, the most important question to answer is – will we have clear skies for viewing?
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What time will Jupiter be closest to earth?
Tonight in the Northeast, Jupiter rises from the east at 6:35 p.m. and sets in the west tomorrow morning at 6:43 a.m. There will be some clouds moving in tonight, but we should have some windows for seeing the largest planet in our solar system.
The late evening and first part of the overnight will start off mainly clear for many of us before a band of high, thin clouds moves in generally 1 to 3 a.m., lingering into the morning. That being said, far southeast and far northwest New England will be mainly clear.
So if you sneak a glimpse, let us know! And if not, don’t fret – you’ll have multiple opportunities in the days and weeks to come.
